FIFA unveils match schedule for 2014 World Cup, 2013 Confederations Cup

PanARMENIAN.Net - The match schedule for the 20th edition of the FIFA World Cup was announced in Zurich on October 20, 2011.The 64 matches will be played in 12 cities across the country. Sao Paulo will witness the opening match on June 12, 2014 while Rio de Janeiro will be the venue for the final of the world’s most prestigious football tournament. The FIFA Executive Committee had confirmed in its meeting earlier the proposal by the Brazilian Organizing Committee.

Hosts Brazil will be seeded as A1 and will therefore play the opening match in Sao Paulo and the remaining two group matches in Fortaleza and Brasilia.

Furthermore, the venues for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 have been announced. The champions of the six confederations as well as hosts Brazil and world champions Spain will participate in the Festival of Champions, which will be played between June 15 and 30, 2013. Currently, four host cities and four key matches have been confirmed, while the full match schedule will be confirmed in June 2012.

Five teams have already qualified for the tournament in 2013: the Asian champions Japan, CONCACAF Gold Cup winners Mexico, South American champions Uruguay, as well as Spain and Brazil, FIFA website reported.