Among the nightmares haunting the mayor of Rio de Janeiro before next year’s World Cup is the possibility that his city could go down in history as the scene of a neighbour’s greatest triumph. “If Argentina beat Brazil, in the final, I’ll kill myself,” Eduardo Paes joked. “They have Messi and the pope. They can’t have everything.” It is not the only potential horror facing the head of the city that will soon host a cascade of mega-events: a papal visit this year, the World Cup next year, and the Olympics in 2016. Paes has described the challenge of meeting expectations as a “good nightmare”, but more than that, he views it as a chance to upgrade a city that seemed to be in terminal decline a decade or two ago. “This is a turning point, an opportunity to reinvent the city,” Paes said in his American-accented English during an interview in his office. “I don’t care about the racetrack for Usain Bolt in the 100m. What I care about is what will last for the city. This is a good excuse to get things done.” The city is perhaps better known for excuses for tardiness, particularly over the construction…