0:00:20 > 0:00:22Cidade maravilhosa -
0:00:22 > 0:00:25a city fit for football's greatest stage.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29This July, the eyes of the planet will be fixed
0:00:29 > 0:00:32on the Maracana Stadium for the World Cup Final.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36And the nation expects Brazil to be there.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48With its incomparable natural beauty,
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Rio is wonderfully seductive.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56But there are frustrations. Anger over the cost of living,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59the state of public services, the gap between rich and poor.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03A fifth of the city still live in the slums -
0:01:03 > 0:01:06but despite the problems, there has been some progress.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Favelas are the lifeblood of the city,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16a source of so much incredible energy.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17Things are never dull,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20its residents living life on the edge.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27A network of twisting, turning alleyways,
0:01:27 > 0:01:32these steep, narrow streets are a super speedway for daredevil bikers.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Drug lords once ruled this area, but not now.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47TRANSLATION: I used to hear many stories of people being murdered, even children.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49I was afraid of being robbed.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53But since there's been a police presence in this favela, I feel a bit safer.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09- TRANSLATION:- The World Cup will be more than a game - it will be a spectacle.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13TRANSLATION: Rio doesn't just have beaches - there are other things for you to visit.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20The Condal mask factory is preparing for Rio's carnival.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24The faces are some of the country's most popular characters,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26real and imaginary.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38TRANSLATION: We were expecting the World Cup to be like an extra carnival,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41but unfortunately this isn't going to happen for us.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45We really wanted to make masks of the Brazilian footballers.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47They would have sold really well.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50But the players won't let us, because of image rights.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57- TRANSLATION:- The World Cup will be fantastic for the city
0:02:57 > 0:02:59but horrible for my pocket.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04TRANSLATION: The World Cup will be great for employment - but I hope it lasts.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14As day turns to night, you can feel this place move.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Every Saturday, hundreds dance the night away under this flyover,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Viaduto de Madureira.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23The beauty of this city...
0:03:24 > 0:03:27..is that you never struggle to find a party.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Occasionally, you need to draw breath.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42200 years ago, this was a coffee plantation.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45But Floresta da Tijuca was replanted,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47transformed into a rainforest
0:03:47 > 0:03:50to protect the city's water supply.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Rio's getting a face-lift. It's time to entertain the planet.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00First the World Cup, then the Olympics.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03A sporting carnival is about to commence.