Mega events divided by nations
Continental events have already been a reality in the football world since their creation and professionalization process. From continental cups such as the European Championship or the Copa América to the sport’s main event, the FIFA World Cup, Breton sport has increasingly seen the evolution of such championships.
Following the evolution of technology, with instantaneous and color transmissions, until the development of capitalism itself, with sponsorship of the event, teams and athletes, the events gradually end up evolving into the so-called Mega-events. Having the potential to give visibility not only to the area where it is held, but also to the country or countries that will host it.
Silva (2022) addresses that:
Mega sporting events are events with global visibility that take place in a single country. The competition to host a mega sporting event is fierce and governments need to present projects to the organizing committees, since the country that is awarded the venue for such an event, receives great attention in addition to media coverage and sponsorship for its territory. However, for this event to occur, a series of adjustments and investments in infrastructure works are necessary. (SILVA, 2022, p. 34)
After the beginning of the 21st century, mega events began to be held in more than one country. Spanning mega-events from Africa, Asia and Europe, competitions with more than one host country gave countries the opportunity to be showcases for the most popular sport in the world, whether in a touristic or even financial way.
After the beginning of the 2000s, there was a large number of competitions with more than one nation as host.
Table 1: Competitions and their editions with more than one host country
Competition
Editions
Euro Cup
2000 (Netherlands and Belgium), 2008 (Austria and Switzerland), 2012 (Poland and Ukraine), 2020 (held in 2021 in more than one country, due to the pandemic period), 2028 (United Kingdom and Ireland) and 2032 ( Italy and Turkey)
Asian Cup
2007 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam)
CONCACAF Gold Cup
2019 (United States and Costa Rica)
African Cup of Nations
2000 (Ghana and Nigeria), 2012 (Gabon and Equatorial Guinea) and 2027 (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania)
world Cup
2002 (South Korea and Japan), 2026 (Canada, United States and Mexico) and 2030 (To be defined, but with confirmation that it will have more than one country as headquarters)
Source: Official websites of FIFA, UEFA, CAF, CONCACAF and AFC. Organized by the author
Throughout the mega-events held after the 2000s, it is notable that the countries initially chosen were countries that were developing football culture and were not seen as spaces where international games could be held. In parallel, the necessary adjustments so that such events could be held made the participation of more than one host country necessary.
Along with this, the construction and adaptation of stadiums to host games becomes a two-way street for certain countries. Branski, Lima Jr, Loureiro and Nunes (2013) approached this problem, based on the 2010 World Cup, held in South Africa
The South African Cup cannot be considered a success story. The Cape Town stadium, for example, was built in Cape Town despite other facilities already existing there. The final cost was around 30% higher than initially expected and resulted in a facility that was little used: the stadium has high maintenance costs and difficulty attracting popular teams.
[…] Of the stadiums, at least five are underused, which led the Durban Planning Secretary to state that given the high maintenance costs, the best alternative would be demolition (IG Economy and Market, 2012). The main problem faced, especially in relation to new installations, is how to attract the public and thus guarantee sustainability. (BRANSKI et al, 2013, p. 567-568)
Such problems found in the case of 2010 and in the conflicts found in Brazil in 2014 are favorable to such dynamics, causing countries such as those located in the South American and African continent to adhere to the “multi-seat” model.
The case analyzed
Figure 1: Advertising image of the host countries for the 2027 edition of the African Cup of Nations
Source: CAF (Disclosure) The 2027 edition of the African Cup of Nations will have Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania as host countries. Nations with a developing football culture have an abrupt chance of development at the event, considering that according to the FIFA Ranking, only Uganda is among the 100 best teams in the world (Uganda occupies 92nd place), while the other two teams are in lower positions (Kenya occupies 110th place and Tanzania 121st).
With this in mind, participating in the main tournament on your continent as host, even though it is a shared responsibility, still has its benefits. From improving venues for holding games to encouraging each country’s national team, the work of hosting an event that covers a large part of the African continent serves not only as a showcase, but also as a possibility to present investment spaces.
With stadiums ranging from 5,000 to 60,000 seats, the 3 countries seek to ensure that such spaces are capable of not only encouraging sport in the country, but also being inviting to internal and external capital. Among the three countries, it is worth highlighting that Kenya, in turn, already had its stadium suspended by FIFA in 2009 for not meeting standards and demands regarding the safety and behavior of its fans (Trivela, 2009).
Among the 3 countries, the main stadiums are:
Table 2: Main stadiums of the host countries of the 2027 African Cup of Nations
Country
Stadiums
Kenya
- Moi International Sports Centre
Capacity: 60,000
Capacity: 30,000
Capacity: 15,000
Tanzania
- Uhuru National Stadium
Capacity: 60,000
- Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium
Capacity: 60,000
Capacity: 15,000
Capacity: 7,000
Uganda
Capacity: 45,202
Capacity:10,000
Capacity: 5,000
Source: Soccer Wiki. Organized by the author
Among the main stadiums presented above, only those with the largest capacities are close to the stadium model established by FIFA over the years. Furthermore, the tournament itself requires minimum structures for its athletes, as stated in the 31st article of the tournament regulations (Confédération africaine de football, 2021).
Therefore, it is inevitable to consider that, over the remaining years for the 2027 edition of the African Cup of Nations, renovations and works will take place so that not only the stadiums, but the cities in each of the three host countries can better host the event. .
Final considerations
The 2027 African Cup of Nations is at its heart a bold attempt, both on its continent and on local scales. With three host countries with little football culture in individual and collective terms, the reception of the competition brings with it a tone of newness and uncertainty.
With few structures that actually meet the basic model required for competitions of this size, it is inevitable to think that over the remaining 3 years until the tournament, internal and external renovations and construction will be carried out at the stadiums. The venues for the event, in turn, could be the first to undergo major changes, given that there are few exceptions to the modest stadium model.
Even so, with the media and qualitative growth of the competition due to the growth of players looking for their origins when representing countries on the African continent, it is undeniable that the investment in the event is increasing, being a great showcase for the country (or countries). ) thirst. In this way, the edition addressed in turn seeks to grow not only the sport, but also everything that accompanies it, in its cultural and economic aspects.
Bibliographic references
BRANSKI, RM FIVE JR, OF LOUREIRO, SA NUNES, EEF Infrastructures at the World Cups in Germany, South Africa and Brazil. . . . Cad. Metrop., São Paulo, v. 15, n. 30, pp. 557-582, December
Confederation of African Football. Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt, 2021. Accessed on: Jan. 2024. Available at: www.cafonline.com
Trivela Team. Kenyan stadiums suspended by FIFA. Trivela, Jun. 2009. Accessed on: 22 Jan. 2009. Available at:
SILVA, I. A. E. Legacy of Brazilian Sports Mega-Events: Investments and Economic Growth in Host and Sub-Host Cities. Uberlândia, 2022.
Republic
** This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Ludopédio.
Be one of 15 supporters of Ludopédio and be part of this team! SUPPORT NOW João Lucas Soares Silva Graduated in Geography from the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM) and studying for a master’s degree at Unesp (Rio Claro). Fellow of the Institutional Teaching Initiation Scholarship Program (PIBID) between November 2020 and May 2022. In 2021, he became a member of the Study Group: Mundo Dentro e Fora das 4 Linhas, intended for research looking at football and its geographical aspects, covering students from universities such as USP, UFMG, UFTM, and UNESP (Rio Claro and Presidente Prudente Campuses) in their meetings. Through the group, he had publications in the periodical Le Monde Diplomatique Brasil and on the website Ludopédio.
How to quoteSILVA, João Lucas Soares. The 2027 African Cup of Nations: beyond the 3 host countries. Ludopédio, São Paulo, v. 176, no. 2, 2024.