World Cup Dispatches: Checking In From The Biggest Party in São Paulo

SÃO PAULO—Since the beginning of the World Cup, Vila Madalena, one of São Paulo's main bohemian neighbourhoods, became the place to go if you're a local trying to ball a tourist, you're a tourist trying to bag a local, or you just generally feel like behaving badly. For reasons unknown, things down there got a little more wild than expected during the World Cup, with people partying hard in the streets, well into the morning. I went there during Carnival and was not ready to see people behaving like they did—crowding the streets, getting high, drinking like pirates, and openly pissing all over the streets. Well, at least not so many people at the same time. It's this sort of behavior that has lead to the police dispersing the unrulier-than-usual crowds with tear gas.

Since this Saturday, the City Hall has been blocking the cars from getting into Vila Madalena while going through the bags of everyone that gets in, in a desperate attempt to have some control over the streets. City Hall filled the streets with cops and chemical toilets, hoping to contain the high spirits, substance abuse, and public depravity that has been causing havoc since the World Cup began. The locals report people openly selling drugs, absurdly high noise levels way into the night, thefts, and public fornication.

Curious to what I could find, I went there during the Brazil-Chile game to see what was happening and then again during the Switzerland-Argentina match and took some pictures while doing so.

I returned a few hours later to see what was brewing on the streets at night. As expected, things had escalated.

The author seen with an unnecessarily jubilant fan of Switzerland.

These Mexican fans were accosted by Argentinian fans who playfully chanted the name of their talisman, Leo Messi.

VICE Sports correspondent Pedro Moreira lives in Brazil and will be providing colorful updates for all of us to enjoy throughout the World Cup.