Rio de Janeiro was the scene of yet more mysterious signs and symbols this week as a series of unidentified messages were spotted around the World Cup host city.
On Monday, the usually tranquil Leme neighborhood was the talk of Rio as the mountainside that overlooks the beach was
illuminated with the giant message:
#WINNERTAKESEARTH
The following day it was the turn of the
internationally-famous Copacabana
neighbourhood, which saw its central region
plastered with the same hashtagged text.
Guests at the luxurious city hotel, the
Copacabana Palace, left their rooms to get a
better view of the bizarre transmission.
The hill of Santa Marta, close to the iconic Christ
the Redeemer statue, was struck on Wednesday. It featured a giant circle with a football shape carved into the centre of the image. Fans driving to the Maracana to watch Flamengo play Botafogo stopped their cars to take photos.
"I have lived in Rio since the day I born and
have never seen anything like it. I'm a little
scared because I do not know what this symbol
means," said Carlos Perez, a Rio resident.
On Sunday, a mysterious hologram of the same
symbol was projected on Rio's Sugarloaf mountain, while London sports venue Hackney
Marshes was gouged by a three-metre football
the following day. The digital billboards of New
York City’s Times Square have also displayed
similar messages.

So the big question is, what could this mean?

LIGHT SHOW
| A symbol on the side of Santa
Maria hill

RIO GRAND
| The city's apartments are
overshadowed by the symbol

MOUNTAIN MYSTERY
| A message above the
beach volleyball at Leme