A statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado overlooks the Mário Filho (Maracanã) stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The Maracanã stadium will host both the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. (Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP/Getty Images)
Brazuca and the FIFA World Cup Trophy are displayed at the Maracanã stadium. Brazuca is the official match ball for the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. (Alexandre Loureiro / Getty Images)
Paramilitary police patrol a street at Vila Kennedy in Rio de Janeiro. (Christophe Simon / AFP/Getty Images)
The fence outside Arena Amazonia stadium in Manaus got its own decorations during the venue’s construction. The facility will host four matches during the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014. (Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP/Getty Images)
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An evening view of the Arena Amazonia during its inaugural match between Nacional and Remo on March 9, 2014. (Raphael Alves / AFP/Getty Images)
The Amazon Theatre in Manaus, Brazil. The opera house was built in 1896 in Italian Renaissance style out of materials imported from Europe during the Brazilian region’s rubber boom. (Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP/Getty Images)
Passengers wait to depart on a riverboat that will take them from Manaus to the small town of Maues. Riverboats ferry people and cargo throughout the Amazon and often serve as the primary form of mass transportation. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)
A view of the first official practice by the Corinthians team at the Arena de São Paulo (Itaquerao) stadium on March 15, 2014. The arena will host the opening match of the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup between Brazil and Croatia on June 12. (Miguel Schincariol / AFP/Getty Images)
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Skyscrapers tower over a greenspace in São Paulo’s Aclimação neighborhood. (Nelson Almeida / AFP/Getty Images)
Demonstrators protest against the upcoming World Cup and to demand better public transport services in São Paulo. Brazil has witnessed months of protests against the estimated $11 billion price tag for the tournament, with demonstrators saying the money would be better spent on improving poor public services. (Nelson Almeida / AFP/Getty Images)
A view of the city of Natal from some of its famed sand dunes. (Buda Mendes / Getty Images)
A woman plays with her dog at a beach in Natal. (Christophe Simon / AFP/Getty Images)
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An exterior view of Natal’s Arena das Dunas venue in late 2013. (Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)
The pitch is reflected in a puddle as construction continued at the Arena das Dunas in Natal in December. (Michael Heiman / Getty Images)