Brasilia, Belo Horizonte win FIFA World Cup praise

Image
IANS Rio de Janeiro
Last Updated : May 23 2014 | 2:16 PM IST

Football's governing body FIFA has offered a glowing report of Brazil's Mineirao and Mane Garrincha World Cup stadiums.

In comments posted on Twitter Thursday after visiting the venues in Belo Horizonte and Brasilia, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said the stadiums had already been proved successful after opening before last June's Confederations Cup, reports Xinhua.

"(The) Mineirao hosted 48 matches and six international shows with more than 1.5 million people," Valcke said. "Now the final touches are being applied to transform (the) arena."

Valcke added that the Mane Garrincha in Brazil's capital reflected the tournament's positive legacy.

"There have been 777,000 visitors (there) in the past 12 months - more than in 36 years at the previous stadium," he said.

Valcke is currently touring Brazil's 12 World Cup venues as local organisers rush to finalise preparations before the tournament begins June 12.

Earlier this week he hailed the pace of work at Curitiba's Arena da Baixada but criticised installation delays for temporary structures at Porto Alegre's Beira-Rio.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 23 2014 | 2:08 PM IST

Next Story