CNN) - When Maria Elza de Fatima learned the World Cup was coming to Brazil in 2014, she thought the good times were soon to return.
Once the owner of a busy clothing stall, the 59-year-old Sao Paulo resident had scraped around for work since her license expired and wasn't renewed by city authorities.
But now the World Cup was coming to her home town -- along with many thousands of fans, visitors and tourists -- opportunities would abound, wouldn't they? It hasn't quite turned out that way.
De Fatima may be one of the lucky ones who has been able to secure an official World Cup job but what she can do and where she can work is limited.
Alongside roughly 600 others, she has been given permission to sell ice packs and soft drinks outside the Sao Paulo stadium. Only official FIFA partners are allowed to hock their wares here and within the arena. De Fatima is all too aware that many others haven't been so fortunate.
She recalls the days when as many 22,000 stall-owners plied their trade on Sao Paulo's streets. A mere 600 jobs (although there are also temporary roles in other areas) isn't nearly enough for them, she laments.
"This World Cup is not for the Brazilians," de Fatima replies when asked whether Sao Paulo has experienced the boon she expected. "It is for the foreigners and FIFA friends."
Nationwide protests
De Fatima isn't the only disillusioned Brazilian.
A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that 61% of respondents felt hosting the World Cup would be a bad thing for their country.
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