Labourers work at night on the construction of the new Corinthians stadium, which is being prepared to host matches during the 2014 World Cup, in the Sao Paulo district of Itaquera March 8, 2012. FIFA president Sepp Blatter will meet Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff to clear the air after FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke's remarks about the country's slow progress in preparing for the 2014 World Cup caused an uproar. (Photo: REUTERS)
FIFA has completed a visit to six of the 12 host cities of the 2014 World Cup.
A group of about 40 people from FIFA and the local organising committee travelled to the northeastern city of Natal on Monday, the last stop in a seven-day trip across Brazil.
They also visited Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Cuiaba and the jungle city of Manaus. The other six host cities had been inspected last year.
The inspection group scrutinised local plans for dealing with traffic, security, fan management, commercial partners, marketing, hospitality and media.
Ricardo Trade, an executive director at the local organising committee, says the visits are important to help organisers “evaluate several aspects” and improve planning for the World Cup.
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