President Lula believes that Rio de Janeiro's successful staging of the 2007 Pan American Games, which ended yesterday, have boosted Brazil's credentials as a potential host for the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

Brazil is hot favourite to stage the 2014 World Cup, being the only country to have presented a formal bid, and Fifa has already indicated that the event will take place in South America. The city of Rio de Janeiro also has ambitions to stage the 2016 summer Olympic Games.

In the weekly radio programme Café com o Presidente, President Lula he commented on the importance of the new facilities constructed for the Pan American Games (for example the ultra-modern, multipurpose João Havelange stadium, the Deodoro sports complex, and the aquatic park in Jacarepaguá), the high level of organization and security, and the active participation of local communities.

He also praised the performance of Brazil's athletes, who won 54 gold medals, 40 silver and 67 bronze – the country’s biggest ever medal haul in the Pan American Games. Brazil won the third highest total of gold medals, behind the United States and Cuba.

Official website of the 2007 Pan American Games

Final medals table

Source: Agência Brasil and Embassy of Brazil in London