Match schedule for 2014 FIFA World Cup™ unveiled

 By fifa.com

The Match Schedule for the 20th edition of the FIFA World Cup™ was announced in Zurich on 20 October 2011. The 64 matches will be played in 12 cities across the country. Sao Paulo will witness the Opening Match on 12 June 2014 while Rio de Janeiro will be the venue for the Final of the world’s most prestigious football tournament. The FIFA Executive Committee had confirmed in its meeting earlier the proposal by the Brazilian Organizing Committee.

Hosts Brazil will be seeded as A1 and will therefore play the opening match in Sao Paulo and the remaining two group matches in Fortaleza and Brasilia.

In addition, the kick-off times have been set as follows (all Brasilia local time):

Opening Match: 17.00
Group Stage matches: 13.00, 16.00, 19.00, 22.00
Round of 16/Quarter-finals: 13.00, 17.00
Semi-finals: 17.00
Match for Third Place: 17.00
Final: 16.00

Venues confirmed for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013
Furthermore, the venues for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 have been announced. The champions of the six confederations as well as hosts Brazil and world champions Spain will participate in the Festival of Champions, which will be played between 15 and 30 June 2013. Currently, four host cities and four key matches have been confirmed, while the full match schedule to be confirmed in June 2012.

Five teams have already qualified for the tournament in 2013: the Asian champions Japan, CONCACAF Gold Cup winners Mexico, South American champions Uruguay, as well as Spain and Brazil.

Opening Match: Brasilia
Semi-final matches: Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza
Final: Rio de Janeiro

Approved Host Cities
Brasilia
Belo Horizonte
Fortaleza
Rio de Janeiro

Conditionally approved Host Cities
Recife
Salvador