Brazil Lays on Best FIFA World Cup Soap Opera

From the villain who bites opponents, to the star left with a fractured spine and a broken-hearted host nation, the Brazil World Cup was the best for soap opera. (FIFA World Cup Final Highlights)

There is even big money thrown in as Brazilian police chase an on-the-run World Cup ticket executive. (Germans Beat Argentina to Win Fourth World Cup Title)

Past tournaments saw a French player strike in 2010, Zinedine Zidane's headbutt finale in 2006 and Diego Maradona expelled from the 1994 World Cup for drug use. Rarely, however, has sport's most watched event seen so much concentrated drama. (Five Moments Where Germany Trumped Argentina)

British newspaper The Guardian called it "a great global soap opera." Brazilian cardiologist Nabil Ghorayeb has been monitoring heart attacks at nine hospitals during the World Cup and says he expects the football emotion to cause more than in 2010. (Lionel Messi Squanders Chance to Join the Greats)

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez became the first player in World Cup history to be kicked out for biting an opponent. He is now laughing all the way to the bank. (Super Mario Goetze, Germany's World Cup Winner)

Suarez chomped on the shoulder of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during their group game, which Uruguay won to dump Italy out of the tournament.

The prolific scorer fell on Chiellini and sank his teeth into the Italian's shoulder as they went to ground. It was Suarez who held his head and teeth in pain after.

He at first denied the charges and showed no immediate remorse when he was banned from football for four months and nine internationals. Suarez finally made a public apology, which some critics called pure theatre.

Before the World Cup had ended Liverpool had sold the controversial player to Barcelona in a deal reportedly worth 95 million euros. "Good riddance" commented the British Daily Mail tabloid.

Brazil striker Neymar was criticised for being too emotional before the quarter final against Colombia.

The tears were for real after he received a knee in the back from Colombian defender Juan Camilo Zunigo near the end of the victory.

The 22-year-old Barcelona superstar at first thought he was paralysed. Stretchered off in agony, Neymar was found to have a fractured vertebrae in his lower back and will struggle. "I could be in a wheelchair," he said in a tearful press conference this week.

He is expected to be playing again in weeks. And Neymar is the hero that Brazil so desperately needs after spending more than $11 billion on the tournament only to be humiliated.

Juliet, who lost Romeo, could not have been more broken hearted than Brazil's fans after being forced to watch their team lose 7-1 to Germany in the semi-final and then 3-0 to Netherlands in the third place playoff. Grown men cried or left the stadium.

Apologies from captain Thiago Silva and other players have not eased the pain and anger. Striker Fred has already retired from Brazil duties and goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who saved two penalties against Chile, said his Brazil days are also finished.

Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari remains defiant, seeing the "positive side" and insisting he has developed a young team.

The public who booed the team see things differently. "Go to Hell Felipao," said the O Dia newspaper on the day after the Germany disaster.

After protests leading into the tournament, a dental assault and a near paralysis on the pitch, World Cup fans may have thought they have seen enough drama.

But Ray Whelan, an executive for FIFA's ticket partners Match left his Rio hotel on Thursday just minutes before police arrived to arrest him as part of an investigation into allegations that millions of dollars worth of tickets were illegally sold.

The British executive remains in hiding. His company and FIFA say they are sure he will be cleared. But police say he is a "fugitive".

There is plenty for a movie at this World Cup. But Hollywood wants to put its first spotlight on Ghana.

Award-winning writer Darryl Wharton-Rigby is already working on a screenplay on the $3 million that Ghana's government had to airlift to Brazil to end a team protest over bonuses. Now that's another story.