Brazil President: Country will be ready for FIFA World Cup 2014

Despite continued speculation centred around doubts over Brazil’s preparations fo the 2014 edition of the FIFA World Cup, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has insisted that the country will be ready and that stadia will be completed in time for the tournament.

Recent reports have suggested that development work at the 12 venues listed for the tournament have been affected by delays, with some stadia struggling to meet FIFA deadlines.

Stadia in Sao Paulo and Natal have caused particular concern and while work has now begun at the former, development is yet to start at the latter.

However, Rousseff has dismissed that the stadia will not be ready in time: “We have stadia 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.”