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Fans congregate at the FIFA Fan Fest during the opening Brazilian match. Image by Matthew Niederhauser. Brazil, 2014.

The Real World Cup looks at the largesse of the soccer extravaganza in Brazil by examining its actual impact on local communities and urban infrastructure in host cities around the country. Many Brazilians argue that government is using the country's love for the game to cover up increasing social inequalities and corruption on a mass scale.

Much of Brazil is still mired in poverty without access to quality education and health services. While the country might welcome the chance to host the World Cup, the entire production needs to be framed within a larger sociological context.

Matthew Niederhauser's project, in the form of a daily blog and photo gallery, provides an alternative media narrative that not only revels in the spectacle of the World Cup but also provides wry observations along the way. The Real World Cup shows how the games will affect Brazilians outside the bright lights and media circus in the stadiums.

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