The federal government also has drawn fire for sparing no expense in building or remodeling stadiums that have no associated major football team to make them economically viable. After the World Cup ends, Brasília, Cuiabá and Manaus will be stuck with  white elephants.

To be fair, when FIFA selected Brazil to host, none of the country's dilapidated stadiums could compete with European venues in terms of design and amenities. With the World Cup coming to the country known for futebol as much as for samba, it was high time to remodel stadiums or build new ones, at least in the major host cities.

Leaving aside the issue of cost overruns, Brazilian engineers and contractors have built an array of world-class stadiums by massively adopting industrialized construction systems. In short order, they also have quickly mastered the challenging art of building roofs for modern arenas. All Brazil's World Cup stadiums are covered. In some instances, imported roof systems and specialized erection schemes accounted for 40% of a venue's costs.

The last chapter of Brazil’s seven-year World Cup 2014 telenovela will conclude with the final match on July 13. If the host country prevails, jubilation and celebration will return to the streets, if only for a short period. People already are talking about the sequel. Set in Rio de Janeiro against the backdrop of the 2016 Olympic Summer Games, the previews look like another tale of broken promises and betrayal of the public trust. Stay tuned.