Sona Hakobyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Brazil will host 2014 FIFA World Cup from June 12 to July 13. Brazil will play the opening match on June 12 at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paolo against Croatia. The final will take place at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Speaking to reporters in Yerevan, Brazil’s Ambassador to Armenia Edson Marinho Duarte Monteiro said all 12 stadiums will be reconstructed according to FIFA standads.
Forty-eight countries will participate in FIFA World Cup, and Brazil’s Ambassador regrets Armenia will not be among them.
“I arrived in Yerevan just six months ago, when the qualification round was under way. I still can’t understand why you didn’t beat Denmark. Please, note that 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place in Moscow, which is not far from Yerevan. Therefore, I hope you’ll qualify for the next World Cup,” the Ambassador said.
“We are proud to host the 2014 World Cup. Everyone knows that Brazil is a country of football,” he said. Asked whether Brazil will be able to guarantee security, the Ambassador said a special commission has been set up to address security issues.
