Brazil will have all 12 stadiums ready for the 2014 World Cup, say organizers in the host country, countering rumblings of doubt expressed by Fédération International de Football Association officials earlier this year.
Brasília's Sports Ministry did not inspire confidence after it issued a report this year that 40% of the projects were behind schedule. By May, FIFA bigwigs were bluntly skeptical about whether Brazil would be ready to host a tournament that is expected to draw 500,000 spectators from around the globe and pump billions into the economy. But Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said contractors would meet the schedule.