World Cup Finals Venues
Brazil will be hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1950 and have selected 12 host cities for 2014. Half of the chosen host cities will have their games in brand new venues built specifically for the World Cup, while the stadium for the capital Brasilia was demolished and will be rebuilt, and the remaining five are upgrading their current stadia. The opening match will be played at the Morumbi Stadium while the venue for the Final will be the Maracanã Stadium.
Belo Horizonte: Mineirao Stadium - The Mineirao is the second largest football stadium in Brazil (it is currently being upgraded to 70,000 capacity). It has also been selected as a football venue for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Brasilia: Estadio Nacional de Brasília - The stadium’s capacity is currently being upgraded by 45,200 to 71,500, with the reconstruction starting back in April 2010. The stadium was built in 1974. The stadium will also host some matches in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Cuiaba: Verdao Stadium – The Verdao is a new stadium which is being built for the World Cup. It will be one of the smallest of the 12 stadiums with a capacity of 42,500.
Curitiba: Arena de Baixada - Is a football stadium in Curitiba with a capacity of 41,375, making it the smallest host stadium at the 2014 World Cup. The stadium was opened in 1914 and is home to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A team Atlético Paranaense.
Fortaleza: Castelao - The Castelão is one of the venues of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It is currently going through redevelopment to transform it into a new all-seater stadium with a capacity of 66,700.
Manaus: Arena Manaus – This new stadium will be located on the current site of the Vivaldão stadium. The stadium will have a all-seater capacity of 50,000 and will be finished in 2012. It will host matches at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Natal: Arena de Dunas - The 42,500 new stadium is being built in the city of Natal in the capital of Rio Grande do Norte Brazilian state and its construction started back in January 2011.
Porto Alegre: Estadio Beira-Rio - The Estadio Beira-Rio football stadium is situated on the Rio Guaíba shoreline in Porto Alegre. It is the home stadium of the city's football team Sport Club Internacional, who play in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A league. The stadium is nicknamed Beira-Rio (meaning 'river bank') due to its location along the margins of the Rio Guaíba. The stadium is currently undergoing restoration and developments in preparation for the World Cup in 2014 and will have a capacity of 62,000.
Recife: Cidade de Copa - This new new multi-use stadium is being built in the city of Recife and will have a capacity of 46,160.
Rio de Janeiro: Estádio do Maracanã - The Maracanã stadium Brazilian is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The stadium was orignially opened for the 1950 World Cup where it was used to host the Final between Brazil and Uruguay in front of a massive crowd of 199,854. The stadium currently seats 82,238 spectators but is being upgraded to 90,000 for the 2014 World Cup, making it the largest stadium in Brazil and South America. At the moment it is being renovated but should re-open again in 2013. The Maracanã will host the World Cup Final.
Salvador: Fonte Nova - The Arena Fonte Nova is a new football-only stadium being built for the 2014 World Cup.The stadium will have a capacity of 55,000 and is located in Salvador in Bahia.
Sao Paulo: Morumbi - The Morumbi stadium is a brand new football stadium which is currently being built in São Paulo and will become the new home of Brazilian football club the Corinthiansin. Construction work is due to be completed in 2013 and it will have a capacity of 65,000. The stadium will host the opening game of the 2014 World Cup.
More information on the stadiums and the amount of matches they will be hosting will be available in the future.
Click here to view the venues for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa
