World Snooker will break new ground next September when it stages a £130,000 invitational tournament in the Brazilian city of Sao Paolo.

The Brazilian Masters, the first world event to be staged in South America, is set to feature the top 12 ranked players and four wildcards.

Steve Davis is guaranteed an invitation, with Brazilian Snooker Association chairman Marcilio Cavalcanti describing him as the Zico or Rivelino of the baize.

Brazil’s top player Igor Figueiredo will also be invited and World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn expects the tournament to be a pre-cursor to staging a full ranking event in 2012.

“This is samba time for snooker,” said Hearn, who made clear that all the world’s leading players will be obliged to participate.

“Football is like a religion in Brazil. Our job is to make snooker their second religion. I believe this is the dawn of a new era. This is bigger than a 130,000-pound tournament.

“We are working on the globalisation of our sport and this opens up a continent for snooker. Breaking into South America is a huge step towards our ambition of making snooker a truly global sport.”

The Brazilian Masters is one of 16 new tournaments World Snooker have added to the programme since last season, including a new full ranking event in Germany and 12 minor ranking events spread across six European countries.

Snooker enjoyed a brief period of popularity in Brazil during the early 1980s, when Davis took on local cult hero Rui Chapeu and won.

Hearn, who travelled with Davis to Brazil, recalled how that 11-frame match was played in a raucous atmosphere and drew a television audience of 30 million.

The Brazilian Masters will be played between September 14-17 and broadcast live on Eurosport.