FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called for the opening match of the 2014 World Cup to be played at Brazil’s most famous football stadium – the Maracana in Rio – and not in Sao Paulo.
“Brazilian football is Rio. And for the world, Rio is the most attractive city to open the World Cup without any doubt at all,” the head of the sport’s world governing body said.
“Given that the press centre and the FIFA organisation will be based in Rio, it seems that this town is the most suitable for staging the opening match.”
The official announcement on where the first match of the tournament will be played will be made in October.
In the interview, Blatter lashed out at Brazilian politicians, including the president Dilma Rousseff, saying that internal disputes between “mayors, governors and the federal government” had complicated the organisation of the football tournament.
“It was easier for the Brazilian football federation to work with (ex-president Luiz Inacio) Lula than with Dilma Rousseff,” he said, refusing to expand on his comment.