With the World’s biggest sporting event expected to kick-off in less than ten hours, all-eyes are on Brazil to see if the BRIC nation and Latin America’s largest country can in fact deliver…

Though the country has suffered its fair-share of criticism leading up to the seminal event, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has gone on record to say that ‘her country is ready, both on and off the pitch’.

In a televised address, Rousseff defended her governance and said that the spirit of the people had ‘defeated the pessimists’. According to the BBC, Rousseff is more than ready to get the tournament rolling as her Brazilian side face underdogs Croatia, in tonight’s opening match scheduled for 1:00am (PST).

Rousseff flat-out rejected claims of overspending and pointed out that tourists would not be taking infrastructure projects with them ‘in their suitcases’ when they leave.

A tough woman to boot, Rousseff is Brazil’s first female President in the country’s 68-year history, and she is determined to make the tournament a resounding success. The country has witnessed a year of protests and in the last week suffered a major transport strike causing widespread chaos.

Fears loom that a repeat of the disruption could prevent visitors from attending some of the opening games, but President Rousseff has given her assurances she will not allow for such disturbances to disrupt the tournament.

Hosting the prestigious competition is among the top honors for any country, so it’s great to see Brazil’s President stand-up personally to ensure everything goes off without a hitch…