 Rio de Janeiro previously hosted major sporting , business and cultural events . On the sporting front , these events included World Cups and World Championships in many Olympic sports , as well as regional championships . From July 13 to July 29 , 2007 , the city successfully staged the 15th and largest ever edition of the Pan American Games ( over 5 @,@ 650 athletes competing in 34 sports ) and the accompanying <unk> American Games ( over 1 @,@ 150 athletes competing in 10 sports ) . Rio de Janeiro hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup and recently hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup , just two years before the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games , which includes upgrades to security , telecommunications and tourism infrastructure . The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup will also be organised by Brazil and used as a test event for the 2014 FIFA World Cup . The proposed competition schedule spreads medals across the entire program with two peaks at the weekends , being similar to the 2008 Summer Olympics program . The period proposed by the Rio de Janeiro bid committee to stage the 2016 Summer Olympics is from Friday , August 5 , to Sunday , August 21 , 2016 . It is also proposed that the 2016 Summer Paralympics begin on the Independence Day of Brazil , Wednesday , September 7 , and last until Sunday , September 18 . 
