Brazil’s readiness to host the FIFA World Cup next year is causing more grey hairs, as soccer’s world governing body acknowledging three major venues will not meet its deadline of being ready by the end of the year.  FIFA still insists they will be ready before the World Cup.

One of the stadiums in question is Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians, where a giant construction crane collapsed last week killing two workers, and damaging the new stadium.  A report on the scale of the damage is expected by the end of the week.  Two other stadiums in the cities of Curitiba and Cuiaba will not be ready by the deadline because of construction delays.

“Two stadiums will be delivered more in the region of February than in January or December,” FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said.  He also said he expects Sao Paulo to be ready, despite the accident.

”Curitiba is the one where we are facing the most problems.  Clearly, Curitiba will not be delivered before the end of February 2014, so that's a fact.”

FIFA wanted the stadiums to be ready at least six months before the opening in 12 June, so that there is ample time for at least two test events in each host city.  But there’s no way to move the games around if the stadiums aren’t ready – About one million tickets have already been sold for next year's tournament.