Brazil vows that it's 'ready' for the World Cup

Brazil vows that it&#039;s &#039;ready&#039; for the World Cup

(Image credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Despite fatal construction accidents, massive strikes, and whatever this is, Brazil swears it's "ready" for tomorrow's World Cup.

The country's president Dilma Rousseff lashed out at critics Tuesday, saying they were "pessimists" for believing Brazil's preparations weren't up to snuff.

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"For any country, organizing a cup is like playing a game, sweating and often suffering, with the possibility of extra-time and penalty kicks. But the final result and celebration are worth the effort." If all the preparations were really worth the astounding $11 billion price tag remains to be seen.

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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.