FIFA announces 12 host cities for 2014

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has announced the 12 Brazilian cities that will host the 2014 World Cup matches.

FIFA president Joseph Blatter (R) looks on as Brazilian Football  Federation president Ricardo Terra Teixeira answers a question.  FIFA announced 12 Brazilian cities -- Belo Horizonte, Brasilia,  Cuiaba, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife,  Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Sao Paulo -- which will host the 2014  World Cup.(AFP/Jewel Samad)

The 12 final winners of the 17 cities that took part in the bid include Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo. FIFA originally wanted just 10 venues for the finals, but eventually agreed to allow two extra ones. All the stadiums will have a capacity of at least 40 thousand.

Among them, the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro is expected to host the final. The last time the stadium hosted the final was in 1950. It was the only other time the World Cup was played in Brazil.