Brazil to inaugurate first 2014 World Cup arena

President Dilma Rousseff travels Sunday to the northeastern city of Fortaleza to inaugurate the first Brazilian stadium readied for the 2014 World Cup, an arena built in part by using prison labour.

With its 67,000-seat capacity, the renovated arena, ringed by metallic structures that look like sails floating in the wind, is one of six which will host next June’s Confederations Cup and the World Cup a year later.

Other Brazilian host cities for the Confederations Cup are Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador, Recife and Rio.

Six other Brazilian cities: Cuiaba, Curitiba, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre and Sao Paulo will host World Cup games as well.

Sunday, Rousseff will grace the inauguration of the Castelao (big castle) arena with her presence. A concert will follow. Read more