Brazil To Slim Down 2014 Host City List
After being formally charged with hosting the 2014 World Cup, Brazil is starting to get the wheels turning by slimming down the 18 cities accepted by FIFA into a 12-city roster as well as choosing where the all-important opening ceremony will take place...
zoom - galleria "Starting in July 2008 we'll be funneling things down to come up with a definitive list of twelve host cities in order to present to FIFA in January 2008, although nothing has been decided yet", explained CBF (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol - Confederation of Brazilian Football)President Ricardo Teixeira.
As regards the closing ceremony with the centrepiece final match, a Maracanã repeat - albeit hopefully not in final scoreline terms - is a tacitly agreed desire.
Although Rio de Janeiro is set to hold the crescendo, there's a battle for who hosts the opening artsy ceremony: São Paulo or Belo Horizonte with Porto Alegre also eager to decentralise events from the South-Eastern axis.
São Paulo is top of the provisional list with SPFC home ground Morumbi expected to be the frontrunner candidate - although a proposed new Corinthians stadium with fast-track train links to Guarulhos international airport and coastal jewel Rio de Janeiro.
“Our governor [José Serra - one of the components of the Brazil bid team] has made an official request for us [São Paulo] to hold the opening ceremony”, explained FPF (Federação Paulista de Futebol - São Paulo Footballing Federation) President Marco Polo Del Nero.
There looks to be rising competition from the inland state of Minas Gerais, governor Aécio Neves hoping that the praise heaped on the Mineirão (Atletico Mineiro and Cruzeiro home stadium) by the FIFA task force will sway some attention away from the two biggest cities
