WASHINGTON, October 20, 2011 - Soccer’s governing body, FIFA, has announced that the 2014 World Cup opening match on June 12 will be held in Sao Paulo, and the final match on July 13 in Rio de Janeiro at Maracana stadium - built for the 1950 tournament. The semifinal games will be held in Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo, and the third place match in Brasília.
The Sao Paulo venue, which is under construction, will hold 68,000 seats. The work on the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, is expected to be complete in Feb. 2013. The venue, which was used for the 1950 World Cup, will hold 76,000 covered seats.
The modernization of the Governor Magalhaes Pinto Stadium Works in Belo Horizonte began in 2010, and is expected to be complete in December 2012. Reconstruction on the Brasília National Stadium, also known as Mane Garrincha Stadium, is expected to be complete in late 2012. The stadium’s seating capacity will increase from 45,000 to 71,000 seats, and additional updates will include a new metallic roof, bleachers, a lower field and removal of the racetrack.
The FIFA Executive Committee also revealed the host cities the 2013 Confederations Cup - a pre-World Cup rehearsal tournament. The 2013 Confederations Cup final game will be in Rio de Janeiro, and the semifinals in Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza.
Construction on the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza, is expected to be complete in December 2012. The stadium’s seating capacity will increase from 60,000 to 65,000 covered seats.
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