Latin America

The Soccerex Global Convention is to feature a select best practice workshop that will bring the past South African and present Brazilian host cities together to discuss the key issues behind the hosting of a successful World Cup.

The Local Organising Committee for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil has asked Sao Paulo city mayor Gilberto Kassab and Sao Paulo state governor Alberto Goldman to consider a new stadium option for the tournament’s opening game.

Temporary and permanent pool manufacturer Myrtha Pools has become an Official Partner of the first World Aquatics Convention, in a deal that it says reinforces its commitment to the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and the development of aquatic sport around the world.

Football business event Soccerex has unveiled a new partnership with international logistics experts, DB Schenker. The partnership sees Schenker become the Official Logistics partner for the Soccerex Global Convention 2010 (November 20-24, Rio de Janeiro).

Hong Kong have pulled out of the Women's Baseball World Cup in Venezuela after one of its players was shot in the leg during a game in Caracas.

The Kentaro agency has worked with the German Football Association (DFB) to organise the Germany-Brazil international friendly taking place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in August 2011.

The IMG agency has acquired the rights outside the Americas for Argentinian football’s top-tier Primera Division, after the previous incumbent, Mediapro, opted not to bid.

The Brazilian government has introduced measures to speed up preparations for the World Cup in 2014 following concerns expressed by FIFA and the country’s national audit office over serious delays in infrastructure and stadia works.

Serious delays have been found in the work on Brazil’s 2014 football World Cup venues, according to a report by the country’s federal audit court (TCU).

NASCAR, the North American association of stock car racing, has formed the NASCAR Teams Licensing Trust - a centralised licensing agency for the sport’s biggest teams and most high-profile drivers.

FINA, the international swimming federation, will provide insight into how cities can work more effectively with their national federations to host FINA Championship events during the first FINA World Aquatics Convention from September 27 to 29 this year. The Convention takes place at the Conrad Resort in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

FIFA will release 5,000 tickets for the first knock-out stage of the World Cup that had been reserved for fans of teams including France and South Africa, following the knocking out of those teams in the first round.

The local organising committee for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil has excluded Sao Paulo FC’s Morumbi Stadium from hosting World Cup games after the club failed to present guarantees for a 630m Brazilian reais ($350m) renovation project.

England, France and Spain were among the lowest-ranked nations in a survey of public interest in the national team conducted in twelve countries which have qualified for the World Cup.

The Russian bid to host the 2018 or 2022 football World Cup’s is sponsoring the networking café area at the Soccerex Asian Forum and the Soccerex Global Convention.

The top 20 football clubs in Brazil made combined annual revenues of $1 billion (1.9 billion Brazilian reais) for the first time ever in 2009, according to Soccerex Business.