Construction of stadium for 2014 FIFA World Cup opener will not be finished in time

Construction work continues on an access walkway to the Arena de Sao stadium, also known as Arena de Sao Paulo and Arena Corinthians, on April 29, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Construction company Odebrecht have confirmed that the roof of the Arena de Sao stadium which is scheduled to host the opening 2014 FIFA World Cup match on June 12 between Brazil and Croatia can only be fully constructed after the tournament.

In an e-mail sent to the Associated Press, it was stated that there was not enough time for the authorities to install glass covers on the stadium’s roof and will be fitted only after the tournament is concluded.

Without the glass covers, the supporters sitting in the stands of the 70,000-seater stadium will be exposed to rain. However, Odebrecht insists that the missing covers are not essential and will not affect the supporters.

“The architectural project of the Arena de Sao Paulo, as of the other 11 stadiums, is not intended to have 100 percent of the fans protected from rain. That is only possible in stadiums completely covered,” authorities of Odebrecht confirmed.

The Arena de Sao Paulo will be hosting five FIFA World Cup matches, along with a semi-final and remains to be the one of the three stadiums which includes the Arena da Baixada and the Arena Pantanal who are scheduled to hold World Cup matches.