Residents’ support for a mega-event: The case of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Natal, Brazil

This study examines the impacts of residents’ trust along with other factors such as community concerns, eco-centric values, and community attachment on local residents’ perceived impacts of and their support for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil. A theoretical model developed on the premise of social exchange theory is tested utilizing data collected from the residents of Natal, Brazil, that hosted three games of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Findings indicate that expected benefits is the most critical determinant of locals’ support/opposition for hosting a mega-event in their community. Trust is found to have the strongest influence on locals’ perceptions of the positive and negative impacts of the game. While the community attachment is found to have significant impact on costs perceptions, community concern significantly influences locals’ benefit perceptions. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.