The disgusting organization that is FIFA

[Pannonian]

Hosting the World Cup is a great honour and privilege and the host country gets many benefits. It is an excellent way to justify vast investment in football (and sports in general) infrastructure and have the investment return for the most part almost immediately.

Developed countries, like USA and Germany, didn't have to build new stadia or transport infrastructure, or only had to build a few and they managed to make a lot of money on it. Brazil needs new stadia (maybe not as much as they have built) and needs transport infrastructure. No one's going to take it away after WC. Asphalt, rails and stations will be there for future use.

You invest 11.5 bn in infrastructure, get most of it back immediately and have the eyes of the most of the world on your country for a month. How much do companies pay for 30 seconds commercial during Super Bowl?

And if you're a realistic contender, hosting a World Cup is a massive step you can take towards winning it. Competitive, and in some cases, uncompetitive countries have regularly performed above their usual level when hosting a World Cup or European Championships. England's best performance in a World Cup was in 1966 when they hosted it. Their best performance in a European Championships was in 1996 when they hosted it. France's best performance in a World Cup was in 1998 when they hosted it. South Korea's best performance in a World Cup was in 2002 when they hosted it. Argentina first won the World Cup in 1978 when they hosted it. And so on. If any country cares about winning the most prestigious sporting trophy in the world, hosting the tournament is one of the most significant things they can do towards that end.