The World Cup baton was officially passed to Brazil on Thursday at a ceremony in Johannesburg attended by President Lula, sports minister Orlando Silva, FIFA president Joseph Blatter, and the president of Brazil’s national football federation (CBF), Ricardo Teixeira.

President Lula promised a ‘green’ World Cup that would be distinguished by its environmental sustainability, and also predicted that the passion of the Brazilian fans would enchant the world.

The ceremony saw the launch of the official logo of the 2014 tournament – three interlinked hands, coloured green and yellow, in the shape of the iconic World Cup trophy.

Speaking to journalists, President Lula said he was proud of the South American teams’ performances in the current World Cup and thought at one point that the four Mercosur countries of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay would dominate the competition. As it turned out, of course, three of the four, including Brazil, were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

When asked to predict the winner of this Sunday’s Holland v Spain final, he diplomatically sidestepped the question, saying merely that the team that plays better will lift the trophy.

Source: Ministry of Sport and Office of the President