São Paulo the most popular choice for World Cup teams

Fifteen of the 32 world cup teams will make São Paulo their base for the tournament, the most of any state in the country. Below is a list of the top states by number of teams choosing to set up camp there:

1. São Paulo - 15
2. Rio de Janeiro - 4
3. Minas Gerais - 3
4. Bahia - 3

Meanwhile hosts Brazil will have their HQ in Teresopolis and reigning champions Spain in Curitiba.

Corinthians football club launches an official funeral service

It's not the first time Corinthians has had a mention on this blog but neither is it every day that a football club launches a funeral service. 

Capitalising on its huge and often fanatical following, Corinthians has decided to team up with funeral service company Memorial to come up with a package complete with branded coffin, official wreath in club colours as well as the playing of the club anthem at the memorial service.

Under the deal the São Paulo football club pockets 7% of the proceeds of every funeral service sold.

If you're interested you can book your funeral here: http://www.corinthiansparasempre.com.br/

Corinthians launch a blood-stained replica shirt

Corinthians, the biggest club in São Paulo by some margin, is well known for the 'to the death' loyalty and radicalism of its fan base. Similarly the players perceived to give most for the shirt are the ones that go down as legendarily Corinthiano.

In these stakes few surpass Zé Maria who in 1979 literally bled for the club as he played through a game against Ponte Preta despite a shirt soaked with blood from a facial injury suffered during the game.

Zé Maria and his 1979 blood stained shirt

No surprise then that fans with a long memory and longstanding commitment to Corinthians were delighted to see official homage being paid to Zé Maria last week. Bizarrely for anyone without the context, a giant blood stained shirt was unfurled before the game in São Paulo last Wednesday,

Giant version of Ze Maria's blood soaked shirt unveiled in the Pacaembu stadium

And if that wasn't enough it was announced this week that an official Corinthians replica shirt will be created complete with blood stain so fans can wear their very own Camisa Sangrenta and the man who bled for the club can be eternalised or at least his image can be merchandised by the club's marketing department.

Seen on the streets of São Paulo: surfing the summer floods in Vila Madalena

Sometimes surfing is the only way to travel in São Paulo ;)

I should say upfront that I can't certify the authenticity of this photo but having witnessed the torential rainfall a couple of afternoons ago and knowing the hilly terrain of Vila Madalena I can quite believe that this is a genuine photo!

The alley above is called the "Beco de Batman" or simply "O Beco" and is a grafitti filed alleyway near Inacio Pereira Rocha and Fradique Countinho streets. The area is very hilly and when it rains hard, temporary urban rivers are formed.

Great photos on Folha's sport section

I always look forward to reading the Folha de São Paulo's sport section and it's partly because it always has a great front page photo + caption combo. Here's a couple of recent ones I liked:

São Paulo crashing out of the Copa do Brasil

Neymar taking the headlines again as Santos wins the Paulistão