Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo has done his best to quiet FIFA officials’ concerns that some venues in Brazil will not be ready in time for the 2014 World Cup, but the criticims are still coming.
According to BBC News, Brazil has already spent billions of dollars building new stadiums and renovating old arenas for what stands to be the biggest sporting event in the country’s history. The crown jewel of this project will be a renovated Maracana, Brazil’s biggest and best-known stadium.
However, analysts say the stadium’s refurbishment has fallen behind schedule, so much so that fears have arisen the stadium won’t be ready to host the closing match of the Confederations Cup on June 30, 2013.
Work on Maracana was delayed last year when workers complained they were being underpaid and decided to strike for weeks. Rebelo remained confident the stadium would be built on time, telling BBC Brazil: “There is no delay and the building schedule is going ahead according to plan.”
