The 2014 World Cup has kicked of with the opening ceremony in Sao Paulo. The lead-up to the tournament has been marked by public outrage over the cost of hosting the world's biggest sporting event.
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World Cup kicks off in Sao Paulo with a Brazil victory
The FIFA World Cup has begun in Brazil, with the hosts earning a 3-1 win over Croatia.
Image: Reuters
Football - a Brazilian treasure
The World Cup can begin: The focus at the opening ceremony was on the "three treasures of Brazil" - nature, people and (obviously) the fooball, the "true Brazilian art form."
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Football in the center
The 25-minute opening ceremony for the 20th World Cup featured some 600 performers, showing the cheerful and colorful side of host country Brazil. The center of the show was a giant LED ball made up of more than 90,000 light clusters, amid the backdrop of the Sao Paulo night sky.
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Jennifer Lopez thrills
The more than 61,000 seats at Sao Paulo's Corinthians Arena were not completely filled. The trio of Jennifer Lopez, rapper Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, presented the official World Cup song "We are one" and got the fans on their feet.
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World Cup mission
The Selecao are on a mission to live up to the immense pressure. Star striker Neymar said before the game: "Our fans can feel safe: 23 warriors will tear themselves apart for the Selecao and want to win the title."
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Croatia make it hard for the favorites
The Croatians weren't intimidated, and coach Niko Kovac didn't want want to hear anything about defensive tactics: "We aren't going to park the bus in front of goal. We want to attack and take our chances. I promise you that." It was clear from the beginning of the match that he kept his promise.
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Temperamental opening match
While the Brazilians were planning on an opening match victory and dreaming of their sixth World Cup title, the Croatians were hoping to be the shock outsiders.
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Own goal for Brazil
Marcelo surprisingly put the Croatians ahead in the 11th minute. The Brazilian defender, fresh off his Champions League victory with Real Madrid, redirected Ivica Olic's driving cross past goalkeeper Julio Cesar and into his own net.
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Home fans respond
Marcelo's mishap may have put the hosts down 1-0, but the more than 61,000 fans in the stadium only cheered louder.
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Relief through Neymar
After the early goal, the Croatians came under more and more pressure. Early on in the match Brazil's superstar Neymar was holding back, but after falling behind, he turned on the magic and found the equalizer in the 29th minute.
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Controversial penalty for Brazil
Referee Yuichi Nishimura assessed the scene and awarded a penalty. A highly controversial decision. After Dejan Lovren's harmless contact with Fred, the Japanese official pointed to the penalty spot, to the horror of the Croatians.
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Neymar makes it 2-1
Croatia's goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa guessed the right corner, but he couldn't stop Neymark's penalty. Brazil went ahead 2-1.
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Celebrations in Manaus
In extra time Oscar made it 3-1 - the final score of this turbulent opening match. Above all, Brazilian fans all around the country have Neymar to thank for preventing an anti-climactic start to the World Cup for the hosts.
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Brazil opened the World Cup on Thursday with a football-style carnival at the Corinthians Arena. The opening Brazil-Croatia match was to follow at 5 p.m. local time (20:00 UTC), with more than 61,000 fans expected to pack the stadium. The 32-nation tournament was officially opened by the symbolic gesture of three children sending doves into the air in the center circle of the pitch right before kickoff.
Twelve heads of state or government are among the VIP guests in the stadium, including Brazilian President Dilma Roussef. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was also expected to be in the crowd, along with under-fire FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has urged his compatriots to rally behind the players as they attempt to capture their first title on home soil.
"To all Brazilians I want to tell you the time has arrived. This is our World Cup," he said on the eve of the tournament.
Ornate opening ceremony
The pre-match fanfare included a performance by US pop star Jennifer Lopez, hundreds of dancers, drummers and gymnasts and a paraplegic who kicked a football in a robotic silver suit. Lopez had initially said she was pulling out of the opening ceremony due to "production issues," but changed her mind with two days to go. Her song "We Are One," is the official tune of the World Cup, but has been panned as a disappointing follow-up to previous tournament classics.
"The opening ceremony is a tribute to Brazil and its treasures: nature, people, football," said Belgian artistic director Daphne Cornez.
Organizers said 20 hours of practice involving more than 1,200 people went into preparing the 25-minute opening ceremony. The event featured a giant LED ball made up of more than 90,000 light clusters.
Thousands of fans have also flocked to Rio's Copacabana beach to watch the event at the Fan Fest space. A 133-square-meter screen was erected, and the area was decorated with yellow and green, the colors of the Brazilian flag.
Rio's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue has been illuminated by the colors of all nations taking part in the tournament. Some 600,000 fans were expected to travel to the capital city for the event.
Under the shadow of protests
The opening day of the World Cup was marked by clashes between protesters and police in Sao Paulo. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the main highway leading into the Corinthians Arena, with police pushing them back with tear gas and stun grenades. Other protests were held in Rio de Janeiro and around the country.
Preparations for the World Cup have been hampered by months of protests, illustrating the widespread public anger over the $11 billion spent on the month-long tournament. The government has responded by boosting security during the event, deploying 150,000 soldiers and police, along with 20,000 private security officers.
