A FIFA delegation is to visit Brazil this month to assess four of the six stadiums that will host the 2013 Confederations Cup, the local organising committee said on Monday.
"FIFA will carry out technical visits on April 25, 26 and 27," the committee's director of operations Ricardo Trade told a news conference.
"They will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Salvador and Recife. A technical analysis will be given so that the host cities of the Confederations Cup will be confirmed at the end of June."
The Confederations Cup, seen as dress-rehearsal for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, takes place from June 15-30 next year. Four cities have so far been confirmed as hosts: Rio, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza.
Recife and Salvador could be added to that list depending on the progress of work on match venues.
The new president of the Brazilian football federation (CBF), Jose Maria Marin, said after a FIFA meeting in Zurich last week that the stadium in Recife "was virtually ruled out", with doubts expressed about its evacuation plan.
But he said he would fight for it to be on the list, given its "enormous potential" and was confident that it would make the grade.
Other than Spain, winners at the last World Cup in South Africa in 2010, and the hosts Brazil, six other countries will take part in the tournament: CONCACAF champions Mexico, Copa America holders Uruguay and Asian Cup winners Japan.
The winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, the equivalent competition in Oceania and the European Championships will also play.
The draw for the group stages will take place on December 1 in Sao Paulo.
Source: AFP
