As excitement builds for the Rio Olympics, those in Shanghai can get into the sporting spirit with a photo exhibition on one particular sport Brazilians take serious pride in.

The host country of the 2016 Olympics has long been recognized globally for one sport - football. Fans here can enjoy the best of Brazilian football with the exhibition Passion, Brazilian Passion.

Brazilian football photo exhibtion brings back glorious memories

"I've been a huge soccer fan since childhood, and Brazil's team has always been there for me growing up. This exhibition really reaches out to my heart. It has re-ignited my dream to one day be playing with these amazing players," said spectator Jiang Tao.

"I recognize most of the players. This is Ronaldo and this is Pele, after winning the World Cup. The moment that I remember the most from this World Cup was Ronaldo's free kick against England, when Brazil beat them, I think, with 2-1. The English goalkeeper just didn't jump and that free kick was very beautiful, in my opinion," said spectator Lovrenc Skoda.

"The name of this exhibition is Passion, Brazilian Passion, because for us it's not only a sport, it's a passion. Every Brazilian is a football fan, a football specialist." said Ana Candida Perez, Brazilian Consul General in Shanghai.

Shanghai's 10,000 strong Brazilian community is expected to be in high spirits during the Olympics. The consul general says while Brazilians are proud to be the first South American nation to host the Olympics, the country has faced numerous challenges in the run-up to the Games.

"I guess it's a challenge to build all the facilities for the Games, and also for Rio the improvements in the infrastructure of public transportation. There was some training, especially for people who work in hotels, in taxis and the ones working in the tourism industry."

However, enthusiasm is still high.

"I hope it'll be a successful Games. At the end of the day, it's about sports and the Games itself. All the others don't matter much," said spectator Jiang Tao.

The free photo exhibition is being held at Shanghai World Financial Center until August 20th. There are 54 photos on display.