Brazilian journalists look for partners for database on FIFA World Cup costs

The independent project 'The Price of a World Cup' is embarking on the gathering and analysis of numbers related to the FIFA World Cups, such as the use of public money, the social impacts, the infrastructure investments and possible corruption crimes.

Six Brazilian journalists, Beatriz Farrugia, Diego Salgado, Gustavo Zucchi, Jamil Chade, Marcio Dolzan and Murilo Ximenes are behind the project. The journalists have been exploring the FIFA World Cups in 1950 and 2014, both of which took place in Brazil. Now, they want to broaden up their scope and include numbers from the rest of the FIFA World Cups.

"We intent to develop the biggest database about the FIFA World Cup, available for civil society and journalists," says Beatriz Farrugia, one of the journalists involved in the project. A website containing many of the data about the 1950 and the 2014 World Cups is already in place (in Portuguese) and an English version is on the way.

"With these websites, we hope to be able contribute to the transparency surrounding the cup and assist investigative journalism that focus on the world’s biggest football event," Farrugia says.

Partner up
The journalists behind the project are welcoming anyone to contribute to their data collection. If you are a journalist, an academic, or a researcher, you can help by sending files, numbers, papers, ideas for collaboration, or dive into and explore the data already available.

The journalists involved are working on the project on their own time and accept donations that can help fund their research.

"We are always looking for opportunities that can keep us investigating the theme, such as partnerships with universities, international associations and/or NGOs," Farrugia says.