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Brazilian battle brewing over FIFA's World Cup rules

A battle is brewing in Brazil over Zurich-based FIFA’s rules for World Cup host countries. Brazil is set to host the 2014 games, but demands by FIFA, the world football’s governing body, are not going down well, especially those that require the country to temporarily change certain laws. Host countries are expected to implement rules concerning exclusivity, especially on rights, trademarks and sales of certain goods. Former Brazilian football star Romario, who was on the winning 1994 World Cup team, is now a congressman and wrote on his Twitter account that “Brazil needs to stop this business of becoming a slave of FIFA.” WRS’s Alex Helmick talks to Reuters sports reporter Brian Homewood about the on-going battle, including abandoning a law that gives the Brazilian elderly half-priced tickets:

Ricardo Teixeira (left) is the head of the Brazilian Football Association is currently under investigation for money laundering. Brazilian soccer legend and congressman Romario (center) is battling FIFA’s strict rules on exclusivity as Brazilian politicians debate changing the country’s laws to meet FIFA obligations for the World Cup in 2014. The two, along with Brazilian national soccer team head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, attended a press conference at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2010. (Keystone/EPA/Srdjan Suki)

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