Doing the math

For eight years, the Brazilian population has been dedicated to building stadiums for the World Cup. One cannot expect anything different in a country that was once called the "land of football boots." The population of the Federal District, for example, still doesn't have teams that attract fans, but is dazzled by a monumental stadium for 71 spectators at a cost exceeding R$ 1,6 billion. Few, however, have calculated what this cost means.

The project cost R$ 800 for each resident of Brasília. Considering only adults, the cost would rise to approximately R$ 3 per person. If we consider the money that was lost to the 208 most needy residents, with incomes of up to one minimum monthly wage, the cost was around R$ 8, roughly one year's work for each of them. If each resident of Brasília knew that this amount came out of their own pocket and were aware of its alternative uses, the euphoria surrounding the stadium would not be so great.

With the resources spent on the stadium, it would be possible to finance the training of 6,800 excellent engineers, starting from the first grade of elementary school in internationally renowned top-quality schools, at an annual cost of R$ 9,000 per student, paying R$ 9,500 per month to each teacher, until the end of their engineering degree, in university programs of the same excellence as those at the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA). This number would be greater than the sum of all engineers ever graduated from ITA in its 64 years of operation. Furthermore, the education would be public, equal for the children of the poorest and the richest, provided they have vocation and persistence.

If we consider that each of these professionals would contribute to the country's development and generate an income at least equal to their salary, using R$ 20 per month as a simulation, the total amount generated over 35 years of work would result in an income of approximately R$ 63,6 billion. This is equivalent to 40 stadiums similar to the new Mané Garrincha. Even more importantly, these professionals would serve as the foundation for the scientific and technological development that Brazil so desperately needs.

If we consider the cost of all 12 World Cup stadiums, currently budgeted at R$ 7,2 billion (and which will certainly be higher), we will fail to train approximately 30 highly qualified scientists and technologists. No matter how many benefits the World Cup brings, there is no doubt that investing in science and technology would be a better use of the money in building the country's future. Some will say that approximately 4 workers received their salaries because their jobs were directly generated by the construction in Brasília, but they could earn the same amount building hospitals and schools. They may also say that the arenas will allow for sporting and cultural activities, but this would already be possible with minor improvements to the existing stadiums.

The more than 500 young people who in recent days have turned our streets into the largest grandstand in Brazil haven't yet done the math. If they did, they wouldn't leave the streets until the priorities of those in power changed, focusing especially on daycare, education, health, public transportation, and mobility.

Brazil has many problems; young people are realizing this, both in large cities and in medium and small towns. But one of the most serious is not being able to do the math.