Sao Paulo World Cup stadium nears completion

Rio de Janeiro: Construction work on Sao Paulo`s Itaquerao World Cup football stadium has reached over 90 percent completion.

Brazilian constructor Odebrecht, who is responsible for the project, released a series of photos Friday showing the venue in the final phase of development, with the turf and most of the 68,000 seats already installed. More than 1,500 workers are finishing work on the dressing rooms, bathrooms and stadium`s roof, Odebrecht said. Itaquerao, also known as Arena Corinthians, will host the opening match of the World Cup June 12 and one of the semifinals. According to Odebrecht, about 20,000 seats will be fitted into temporary stands to be removed after the tournament. The stadium is on schedule to be ready by the end of December, in time for the deadline enforced by world football`s governing body, FIFA.