Sao Paulo stadium won't be ready until May

Published Mar. 1, 2014 12:56 p.m. ET

foxsports

ZURICH (AP) -- The Sao Paulo stadium which hosts the opening match of the World Cup will not be finished until less than four weeks before Brazil plays Croatia on June 12.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke says "it will not be ready before the 15th of May."

FIFA had hoped to get the Itaquerao stadium in mid-April, following delays when a crane collapsed in November killing two workers.

Referring to host cities Sao Paulo and Curitiba, Valcke says "we have 2 stadiums which are quite late."

Valcke acknowledges "it's true that whenever you receive something late then it's a challenge to make this thing ready on time" but he says "it will work at the end."

Valcke says the World Cup has "full support" from Brazil President Dilma Rousseff and government authorities.