FIFA to Choose Brazilian Cities

FIFA’s rulling committee, chaired by President Joseph S. Blatter, will decide on Saturday and Sunday, 30-31 May 2009, in Nassau (Bahamas) which 12 cities in Brazil will be hosting matches at the 2014 World Cup (20th World Cup of FIFA). This meeting of the committee is the second meeting of the year and the agenda features a wide range of topics that also includes preparations for the FIFA Confederations Cup’09 in South Africa and also the preparations for the 59th FIFA Congress.

Still, the top agenda of the Executive Committee is the choice of host cities in Brazil. In the beginning of this year a FIFA inspection team visited all the seventeen cities of Brazil. Last year in December the executive members came to conclusion to have twelve venues instead of ten in request to the Brazilian soccer federation for having a wider spread of matches in Brazil. The capacity figure says that all the potential stadiums would hold about 40,000 spectators.

The final match of the 2014 World Cup will be held in Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The stadium has the capacity to hold at least ninety thousand spectators.

The cities which showed interest are Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Jaaneiro, Porto Alegre, Brasilia, Belem, Campo Grande, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Florianopolis, Goania, Manaus, Natal, Recife/ Olinda (sharing single stadium), Rio Branco and Salvdor.

Brazil won the right to host the World Cup on October 30, 2007. After 1950, this is the second time the country is the host to the World Cup and fifth to host it twice after Mexico, Italy, France, and Germany.

Other important topics of the agenda that will be discussed in the meeting are:
• An update on the agenda of the FIFA Congress will be given that will be taking place on 2nd and 3rd of June in Nassau.
• A report of the inspection tour will be submitted and also preparations for FIFA Under-17 World Cup this year in Nigeria.
• Updates of the other FIFA competitions’ preparations taking place this year and also the next year.
• A review of pending cases will also be made in relation to the member associations.
• Receive reports on other meetings of the committee since the last FIFA Executive Committee this year in March in Zurich.