In Pictures: Faces of the World Cup

For an entire month, football took over the front pages of almost every newspaper in almost every country in the world, and nowhere more so than in Brazil. In the months leading up to the World Cup, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians protested against the billions of dollars spent on hosting the tournament rather than on social needs.

But when the whistle sounded at the start of the first game, it seemed like the entire country dressed in green and yellow and showed the world the irresistibility of World Cup fever. And it was not just the Brazilians who were elated. Fans from around the world came to show their colours and their passion for their team, or simply to savour the excitement generated by the tournament. People dressed up as clowns, popes, and jesters. Grown men and women cried when Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Algeria lost. The excitment, emotions and overall experience in Brazil was highly contagious.