The FIFA World Cup in the BRICS: International media portraits of South Africa, Brazil, and Russia

This article explains how the international media has portrayed the host country at three FIFA World Cups: South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, and Russia 2018. The research analyzed 5,085 articles produced by seven media outlets in four countries during the events, using frame analysis. It aims to understand how the media has portrayed these countries, the similarities in coverage, and the transformation over the period. The three countries present an interesting case study as they are considered developing countries that hosted the FIFA World Cup with a similar objective: to improve their international image. Coverage of South Africa and Brazil is dominated by social issues such as inequality, violence, and poverty, while coverage of Russia focuses on political issues.