MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil says stadiums will be ready on time for the 2014 World Cup

Work at Sao Paulo’s Morumbi that will host the opening match has only began

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday brushed aside concerns over delays in preparations for the 2014 World Cup, insisting that all stadiums would be ready in time for the tournament.

Practically all the works which were to have been carried out in the 12 stadiums across Brazil have run into delays, with some struggling to meet FIFA construction deadlines.

But Rousseff insisted: “We have stadiums which are still being built and these must be ready by December 2013 to be in an extremely calm and comfortable situation. There are others which are a little more delayed but all will be ready.

”I feel confident that Brazil will be ready in 2014 to present the best World Cup. We (the government) together with the governors and the mayors of the cities of the World Cup are taking all necessary measures to ensure that this will happen.”

The Confederations Cup takes place in Brazil in June 2013 and will act as a warm-up for the World Cup requiring that most of the infrastructure for 2014 be in place.

FIFA had expressed their concern over delays but gave the organisers a vote of confidence at the end of June, after the previous month announcing that two stadiums, Sao Paulo and Natal, would not be ready to host Confederations Cup matches.

Work has recently begun on the Sao Paulo stadium which will host the opening World Cup games but building has not started at Natal Stadium in the north east of the country.

As well as sporting infrastructure, Brazil will need to spend over 11.4 billion dollars on improving roads, hotels, security, and telecommunication network and airport capacity.