World Cup 2014 city guide: Cuiaba

So criticised was Cuiaba’s inclusion as a World Cup host city that those unfamiliar with the place may have thought its full name was Cuiaba-Why?

Certainly on the surface it is hard to justify this relatively small city, located a considerable distance from the country’s main economic and population hubs, with no recognisable footballing tradition.

But what awaits the visitor to the World Cup’s ugly duckling host city? More than might be expected, actually. Improved transport links and the opening up of the mid-western part of Brazil after the construction of the country’s new capital in Brasilia meant that Cuiaba has grown quickly in recent decades, becoming something of a rural boomtown. The city itself is not wildly interesting but its great strength is the nature that surrounds it — the savannah of the Chapada dos Guimaraes, the beginning of the Amazon region to the north, and to the south the incredible biodiversity of the Pantanal wetlands.

Two clubs, Cuiaba and Mixto, will use the 43,000-seater Arena Pantanal after the World Cup. Neither have much in the way of a fanbase or footballing history, and it is hard to see how they will fill more than the first few rows of the stadium for lower league games. The Brazilian authorities, however, are relying on the multi-use aspect of the arena to try to make it viable after the World Cup. “The idea is that it will host a number of activities, such as football, conferences, shows, fairs, events and exhibitions,” said sports minister Aldo Rebelo. There were even rumours last year that Cuiaba’s successful American Football team, who attract as many fans as the local soccer clubs, could play at the stadium in this hot and very dry city.

It is the same sorry tale in Cuiaba as in many Brazilian World Cup cities — a race against the clock to be ready in time for a tournament that starts just days from now, while outside, a number of important infrastructure works, such as a new metro system, lie hopelessly unfinished.