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A large number of Brazilians staged a rally on Monday in front of the FIFA headquarters in Rio de Janeiro against the costs of the hosting of the tournament by their government.

The protest organized by the Rio da Paz (Rio for Peace) group was held in front of Copacabana Palace Hotel, where FIFA has its offices, Reuters reported.

The group set up 12 blindfolded mannequins wearing the Brazil team shirts on the Copacabana beach with the message "People are not blind".

"We know the price this country had to pay to organize this (World) Cup and we know how much FIFA is profiting and how little it is investing in Brazil," said one protester.

The group staged the demonstration to draw attention to the USD 11 bln spent on the World Cup.

The rally ended with footballs stained with red paint being buried in the sand in memory of the people who die for a lack of adequate health care in Brazil.

Brazil has seen almost daily protests and strikes over the expense of the tournament. Critics say the money should have been invested in health, education, transportation, and housing sectors.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, however, has emphasized that investments in stadiums, airports and other infrastructure would provide the country with long-term benefits.

Rising inflation and a sluggish economy have reportedly tarnished the World Cup image in Brazil, which is the biggest country with the largest economy in Latin America. The World Bank said in 2012 that nearly 16 percent of Brazil's 200-million population lived below the poverty line.