ABSTRACT
Brazil was recently in the spotlight for hosting two sport mega-events (SMEs): the 2014 FIFA Men’s World Cup and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Through a descriptive approach, this chapter dialogues with Brazilian and international literature, exposing theoretical debates and empirical data to discuss the development of Brazilian sport in the economic and social spheres. In the economic sphere, it aims to present the consequences faced by the sport sector of Brazil for hosting the SMEs by presenting data on the public funding of sports initiatives during the period of SMEs in Brazil (2010–2018). In the social sphere, we present the organisational structure and the management strategies of sport for development programmes led by public and non-profit sectors. Through the examination of both areas, we argue that sport is being used as a tool to promote economic and social developmental goals in Brazil. Yet, the outcomes of public and private programmes in these key areas should be critically reviewed, particularly through the improvement of planning, transparency and evaluation processes. Then, the Brazilian case might contribute to emerging countries bidding or preparing for SMEs, as well as those creating public and private programmes in sport for development.
