As Brazil faces riots and strikes at home in the days leading up to the World Cup, authorities in the country are also bracing themselves for an influx of football hooligans from neighbouring Argentina.
According to Reuters, more than 50,000 Argentine fans are expected to travel to Brazil to support their side, and Brazil is strengthening police presence and deploying undercover in an effort to ward off the threat of violence from groups of hooligans known as “barras bravas“.
A likely source of trouble at matches will be groups of young fans who were unable to buy tickets through official channels due to the high prices, and will be congregating around the entrances of stadiums before games, with heightened national passions heightened by the alcohol on sale.
Alcohol is normally banned at football games in Brazil in order to reduce the high rates of violence between rival supporters. However, FIFA made beer sales in stadiums a condition of holding the World Cup due to the demands of sponsors such as Budweiser, and authorities are concerned about the role of alcohol in football hooliganism at the tournament.
