10 Biggest FIFA World Cup Controversies

Brazil might be the home of Samba football and the world's most successful side at Fifa World Cups with five separate triumphs over the years, but the homecoming of the tournament in 2014 was anything but harmonious.

Prior to the football even kicking off, the tournament was the target of several high-profile marches and protests, with Fifa even coming out and announcing that the opening ceremony would not feature any speeches for fear of booing or even a stadium revolt. For the poorer workers across the country, a World Cup investment was not seen as something the country should have been gunning for, and everything from officials to foreign reporters and television crew were subject to targeting.

These protests were given even more fuel when an unstable staircase at the Maracana Stadium, a monorail and an overpass in Belo Horizonte both collapsed and a stadium fire sadly claimed the lives of eight workers.

The protests continued right the way through the tournament, most notably breaking out furiously when Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany in the semi-finals, and the hosting of the 2014 World Cup remained a controversial talking point in Brazilian society even after the football wrapped up.