It is fair to say that, of the two incidents, Neymar’s fractured vertebrae has attracted far more media anguish than the shoddy workmanship that cost the lives of two of his fellow-citizens. Brazil seems to be living by the maxim of Bill Shankly, the legendary football manager best known for his time at Liverpool, who famously remarked: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death . . . I can assure you, it is much, much more important than that.”

The two incidents show why Brazil’s brilliance at football can be a curse, as well as a blessing. The reasons to celebrate the country’s footballing prowess are obvious. Brazilian teams have given joy to millions all over the world. The yellow jersey of the Seleção, even more than the Amazon or the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, is the nation’s calling card. But Brazil’s brilliant football has sometimes seemed to serve not as an inspiration to brilliance in other areas of life – but as an alternative.

For a time, last year, it seemed as if Brazilians had finally tired of this game. During the Confederations Cup, a warm-up event for this year’s tournament, there were mass protests against the vast spending on staging the World Cup.

While millions of Brazilians still live in shanty towns – without access to decent sanitation, healthcare, education and transport – Brazil had chosen to pour more than $11bn into building glistening new stadiums, as well as all the other facilities demanded by Fifa, the international football federation. The demonstrators called for “Fifa-standard” schools and hospitals, as well as the stadiums.

However, predictions that these protests would be repeated on a similar scale during the World Cup itself have proved wrong. Instead, Brazil has become caught up in the melodrama of the football.

An absence of mass social unrest should not be a cause for regret. Brazilians have every right to take pride in their team and the staging of the tournament – which, despite the tragic accident in Belo Horizonte, has generally gone well. The risk is that the issues raised by last year’s demonstrations may be shoved to one side by the footballing euphoria.

The protests last year were interesting and important because they highlighted the discontent and aspirations of millions of ordinary people. The Brazilian government’s reaction was also impressively mature. While the Turkish government, which was hit with similar social unrest at about the same time, reacted with hostility and conspiracy-theories, Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s president, acknowledged the legitimacy of the demonstrators’ demands and promised to work harder to meet their aspirations.

Ms Rousseff is up for re-election this October. But her chances of victory have been clouded by widespread doubts over her ability to deliver the improvements in living standards that she has promised. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – Ms Rousseff’s charismatic predecessor – was able to boast about economic growth that averaged more than 4 per cent a year during his time in office, and rapid reductions in inequality. But excitement about the potential of Brazil has dimmed. The country is expected to grow by less than 2 per cent this year – feeble for a nation that aspires to be a dynamic emerging economy. Laments about shoddy administration and corruption are commonplace.

Without a sustained record of achievement, Ms Rousseff badly needs a successful World Cup. Her appearance at the opening match of the tournament provoked boos and obscene chanting. Since then, she has kept her head down.

The president, however, is certain to reappear at the World Cup final in Rio on July 13. This time, she will be flanked by some impressive friends. Brazil will play host to a Brics summit, which has been scheduled for just after the World Cup – reportedly at the insistence of Xi Jinping, China’s football-loving president. A “power photo” with the leaders of Russia, China, South Africa and India could serve as a perfect opening to Ms Rousseff’s presidential election campaign.

There are, however, two big risks with this strategy – one to do with football, and one to do with politics. Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, who will come to the Brics summit, has just been elected by capitalising on the Indian public’s dissatisfaction with slow growth and corruption. The parallels with Brazil are uncomfortably close and the emergence of a Modi-like candidate in Brazil would be very threatening to Ms Rousseff.

Comparisons between the political economies of India and Brazil may prove a little abstract for most voters. But nobody will miss the symbolism of events on the football pitch. And, here too, things look dicey. Without Neymar, Brazil could easily lose to Germany in the semi-final tonight. The only thing worse than that would be to lose, in the final itself, to Argentina – Brazil’s neighbours and bitter rivals.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, Brazil’s coach, has said that winning the World Cup, is “the minimum requirement”. (Brazil also wants to play with style.) Win or lose, it would be wonderful if Brazil could take Mr Scolari’s refusal to accept second best – and apply it to other areas of life.