Brazil set to host World Cup
Brazil are the reigning World Cup champions
Brazil looks certain to hold the 2014 World Cup after the South American Football Federation (CSF) voted to back the country as its candidate to host the event.
Football's world governing body, Fifa, decided earlier this month that a South American country would host the 2014 tournament.
Peru in December proposed a joint bid to host the finals along with their fellow Andean nations Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, while Chile and Argentina had also been expected to launch a joint bid.
But CSF chief Nicolas Leoz said: "All 10 countries which make up the South American Confederation agreed that the 2014 World Cup to be held in South America should be hosted by Brazil."
The five-time world champions last held the event in 1950, when they dramatically lost to Uruguay in front of 200,000 fans at the newly-completed Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Rotation
Argentina were the last South American country to host a World Cup in 1978, while Brazil (1950), Uruguay (1930) and Chile (1962) have also staged the event.
Fifa's decision to award the tournament to South America is part of its plan to rotate the event between continents.
Asia hosted the World Cup for the first time in South Korea and Japan last year, when Brazil beat Germany 2-0 in the final.
The World Cup will return to Europe when Germany hosts the 2006 finals, while the 2010 event will be the first to be held in Africa.
Brazil will, however, have to overcome some major stumbling blocks if it is to host the 2014 tournament.
Its major stadia need rebuilding, and its infrastructure in terms of hotels, transport and communication links - may not be good enough.
Colombia was set to host the 1986 finals but, confronted with the same sort of problems, ended up handing the event to Mexico.
Brazil also suffers widespread poverty and deprivation, while drug-related crime is an increasing problem.
Brazil's domestic football is also notorious for its corruption.
Less than two years ago, the Brazilian Senate produced a damning 1,600 page report on the game.
But Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ricardo Texeira claims the country would be ready to stage the 2014 finals.
He said: "Normally, countries are only awarded the World Cup six years in advance, and this gives us a big advantage.
"We have got a lot of time to work with and we can do this bit by bit - Brazil is up to the task."