Seven years ago, Brazil was chosen as the host country for the 2016 Summer Olympics and, as such, secured coveted spots in every sport, including rugby, polo, golf and fencing – which are not popular at all in the country of soccer. So, faced with a shortage of home talent, Brazilian sports officials looked abroad for help, and surprise, surprise, expat Brazilians from across the globe turned out in droves – good for South America’s biggest country, which will have competitive teams and good for the athletes, who otherwise would not be able to take part in the Games. Of course, nothing is perfect – many of them speak little or no Portuguese, and others were not even born in the country for which they’re supposed to compete. As for how the home crowd is going to react, it’s anyone’s guess, but chances are if this international band of Brazilians rises to the challenge, support will certainly come.