26,000 police and soldiers to provide World Cup final security

Some 26,000 police and soldiers will provide security Sunday for the World Cup final in Rio between Argentina and Germany, the Brazilian justice minister said Thursday.

After a meeting with FIFA and the federal government in Rio, minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo said that force has not been increased despite a flood of Argentines heading to Rio for the final.

Rather, this is the force originally planned for the final, he said.

Cardozo also noted Brazil's shocking exit in a 7-1 drubbing by Germany in the semi-finals.

"We lost on the field but off of it we are winning and the world is applauding this," he said, referring to Brazil's organization of the tournament, in comments picked up by the web site of the newspaper Globo.

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