By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The official 2014 World Cup jersey for the Seleção, the Brazilian national football (soccer) team, will be unveiled to the public this Sunday, November 24th. In celebration, Nike will present a free all-day mega-event in Rio de Janeiro, The Nike Festival dos Esportes (Nike Sports Festival).
Brazilian superstars Ivete Sangalo, Thiaguinho, Naldo, Marcelo D2, Anitta, and Emicida will perform on the Praia do Flamengo to launch the jersey in the evening.
The musical performances will begin at around 5PM with São Paulo native, MC Emicida and Carioca (Rio Native) Marcelo D2 bringing the best of Brazilian hip hop to the launch.
Rising superstars and former funkeiros (Funk carioca singers) Anitta and Naldo will bring the best of pop and MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) and Brazilian singer and composer Thiaguinho will deliver his blend of pagode and pop to the celebration.
Headlining the mega-event will be Brazilian megastar, Ivete Sangalo. The famous axé singer is back in Brazil after a recent five-city U.S. tour, during which the The New York Times compared her vocal style with the likes of “Tina Turner, Janis Joplin and Bette Midler.”
In Brazil, Ivete Sangalo has sold more than 15 million records and is considered one of, if the number one star in Brazil. On Sunday she will help launch the new jersey of the most popular sport in the country, bringing two of the country’s icons together.
The festival starts much earlier in the day though, at 9:30 AM, and in anticipation of the launch the Aterro do Flamengo will be filled with sporting events including; 5k and 10k runs, skate competitions and of course lots of football. Beginning at 10AM skaters will fill the Aterro do Flamengo and at 12PM the Nike skateboard (SB) team will begin the Skate NAS 4UDRAS Jam sessions.
Participants will include Yuri Facchini, Cezar Gordo, Rodrigo Gerdal, Fabio Cristiano and newest Nike Skateboarding team member Luan de Oliveira.
Also starting at 10AM, five of Aterro do Flamengo’s football fields will house a 4×4 soccer championship between future superstars of the sport with the three additional fields remaining open for anyone, professional or amateur, who feels like kicking around the ball.
During the competition sixty teams of 360 previously enrolled players will battle it out throughout the day. The winners of the tournament will have the honor of being the first to wear the official Seleção 2014 World Cup jersey, presented during a ceremony later in the day.
“We often say that when we decided to make a brand of football, we found the ideal partner in Seleção Brasileira,” said the Vice President of Marketing Nike Brazil Henry Rabello. “This year we have completed an eighteen-year partnership […] There is nothing better than offering a great celebration party for the sport.”
Approximately 100,000 people are expected to join in the celebration throughout the day.
What: Nike Festival dos Esportes
When: November 24th, 9:30 AM
Where: Aterro do Flamengo and Praia do Flamengo
Entrance: Free