Maracana ready for Brazil-England friendly

Rio de Janeiro, May 28 (IANS): Maracana Stadium officials said the refurbished venue will be fully ready for Brazil’s international friendly against England Sunday.

The stadium is still surrounded by unfinished construction work despite assurances from organisers that it would be ready by April 27, reports Xinhua.

“We are making final adjustments to the surrounding area,” Rio’s major events secretary Leonardo Maciel said Monday.

Originally budgeted at $200 million, the final cost of the stadium’s three-year redevelopment has reached $500 million.

The Maracana will host three matches during next month’s FIFA Confederations Cup and seven fixtures, including the final, of next year’s World Cup.