Know the cities which will be hosting the soccer World Cup 2014

New Delhi: As the whole world eagerly waits for the commencement of the biggest football carnival in the land of samba, India TV takes a look on the twelve host cities that will be witnessing the best of footballing action. SALVADOR Party city of Salvador hosts 6 World Cup matches Salvador is Brazil's party capital, and it's also known for its passionate football fans. Brazil's third-largest city after Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Salvador will host six World Cup matches at the 52,000-capacity Arena Fonte Nova, which was one of the venues used in last year's Confederations Cup. The stadium's construction was plagued by delays, however, and a small part of its roof collapsed last year following heavy rain less than three weeks before the World Cup warm-up tournament. The old Fonte Nova, home to most Bahia-Vitoria derby matches, was demolished in 2010 to give way for the new arena, which will see defending champion Spain playing the Netherlands in its opener on June 13. Other group matches include Germany vs. Portugal on June 16, Switzerland vs. France on June 20, and Bosnia vs. Iran on June 25. The Fonte Nova will also host a match in the round of 16 on July 1 and a quarterfinal match on July 5.CURITIBACuritiba survives to watch world champion Spain Widely considered the most advanced city in Brazil, Curitiba was in serious danger of being excluded from the World Cup because of delays at its stadium. After repeated warnings, FIFA was forced to give an ultimatum to the southern Brazilian city, prompting local organizers to scramble to find additional funding to expedite renovation work at the 41,000-capacity Arena da Baixada, which is owned by local club Atletico Paranaense. A solution came in at the last minute, keeping Curitiba from becoming the first host city to be excluded from the tournament because of construction delays. The payoff should come when world champion Spain plays Australia on June 23. The other three group matches at the venue will be Iran vs. Nigeria on June 16, Honduras vs. Ecuador on June 20, and Algeria vs. Russia on June 26. Spain is also expected to train in Curitiba during the World Cup. The city is known worldwide for its efficient transportation system and urban planning, and has been praised by the United Nations and others for being environmentally friendly. Located in the south, relatively cold weather is expected for some matches.NATAL Estadio das Dunas in Natal will hold 42,000 spectators for four World Cup matches at this year's tournament. The name comes from the sand dunes that are among the most impressive natural attractions in the northeastern region. The stadium's curving structure is meant to copy the look of the dunes. The city was founded on Dec. 25 late in the 16th century. That is where the name Natal, which means "Christmas" in Portuguese, comes from. The city is famous for its sunny, tropical climate. Natal is located on the extreme eastern edge of the country, about as close to Africa or Europe as you can get in Brazil. The location prompted the United States to use it as an airbase during World War II to support troops in north Africa. Natal is scheduled to host four games, starting with Mexico vs. Cameroon on June 13. That will be followed by Ghana vs. United States on June 16, Japan vs. Greece on June 19, and Italy vs. Uruguay on June 24.RIO DE JANEIRO With famous beaches and world-renowned attractions such as the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugar Loaf mountain, Rio de Janeiro has plenty to see even without the World Cup. The Maracana Stadium, which will host the final on July 13, went through its third renovation -- and biggest ever-- to be ready for last year's Confederations Cup. It was once one of the world's largest stadiums, accommodating crowds of 200,000. It remains one of the city's top tourist attractions. The Maracana will host seven matches. The first will be between Argentina and Bosnia on June 15, followed by: Spain vs. Chile on June 18; Belgium vs. Russia on June 22; and Ecuador vs. France on June 25. It was built for the 1950 World Cup and was the scene of the deciding game -- won 2-1 by Uruguay. The maximum capacity has been cut to 77,000, but that will be reduced further to 73,500 for the World Cup. The official name of the stadium is Estadio Journalista Mario Filho, named for a well-known journalist of the time. Rio's southern zone is prosperous and famous for Ipanema and Copacabana beach. But other parts of the city -- particularly the north -- are less desirable with slums scattered across hillsides.BRASILIALocally known as the Mane Garrincha Stadium, the 70,000-capacity Estadio Nacional in Brasilia was completed last year for the Confederations Cup and will host seven matches at this year's World Cup. The stadium was named in honor of Garrincha, a striker who helped Brazil win the 1958 and 1962 World Cup along with Pele. The construction of the stadium has been criticized because Brasilia doesn't have a top football club, and there are fears the venue -- one of the most expensive built for the World Cup -- will become a "white elephant." There are similar fears about stadiums in Natal, Cuiaba and Manaus. The city of Brasilia was built in the late 1950s to replace Rio de Janeiro as the nation's capital. It's known for its remarkable architectural features, many of them built by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. It is the center of the country's political life and its grid layout gives it a different feel from other cities in the country. Play begins on June 15 with Switzerland facing Ecuador. Other matches are: Colombia vs. Ivory Coast on June 19; Cameroon vs. Brazil on June 23; and Portugal vs. Ghana on June 26. The stadium will also host a match in the round of 16, another in the quarterfinals and finally the third-place match.BELO HORIZONTE Belo Horizonte was one of the first Brazilian cities to be ready for the World Cup, avoiding the delays that marked the preparations of nearly all other host cities. Matches will be played at the renovated Mineirao Stadium, one of Brazil's most revered football venues. It was inaugurated in December 2012, and was one of the two (along with Fortaleza's Castelao Stadium) not to miss FIFA's deadline for the Confederations Cup. The venue was used in the semifinals of the World Cup warm-up tournament, when Brazil beat Uruguay to stay on track to eventually win the title. The Mineirao will seat more than 62,000 fans and will host four group matches: Colombia vs. Greece on June 14; Belgium vs. Algeria on June 17; Argentina vs. Iran on June 21; and Costa Rica vs. England on June 24. It will also host a match in the round of 16 on June 28, possibly with Brazil playing, and a semifinal match on July 8. The southeastern city, which is also home to the training camps of Argentina and Chile, is filled with football tradition, fueled by the rivalry between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro, two of the country's most successful clubs.FORTALEZAFortaleza is Brazil's fifth-largest city, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the northeast with or without the World Cup. The city has 34 kilometers (21 miles) of beautiful beaches and will host six matches at this year's World Cup at the revamped Estadio Castelao. The stadium has a seating capacity of 65,000 fans, but that will be reduced to 59,000 for the World Cup. Already tested at last year's Confederations Cup, the stadium will first host Uruguay vs. Costa Rica on June 14. That will be followed by: Brazil vs. Mexico on June 17; Germany vs. Ghana on June 21; and Greece vs. Ivory Coast on June 24. Matches in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals will follow. Fortaleza means "fortress" in Portuguese. The city owes its name to a period in the 1600s when the Dutch established a fort there. The weather is hot and tropical. The rainy season runs into June with high humidity, but after that it's very dry through December.MANAUSManaus is the most remote of Brazil's World Cup cities, and probably the most fascinating, too. With its industrial zone and trash-strewn slums, Manaus sits in the middle of the Amazon rain forest in far northwestern Brazil, surrounded by unmatched natural splendor. It will be home to some very interesting matches as well, including England vs. Italy on June 14 and the United States vs. Portugal on June 22. The city made headlines even before the World Cup draw last year, when England coach Roy Hodgson said it was "the place ideally to avoid" because of the humid and steamy weather in the region, remarks that insulted local officials and prompted an apology. Kickoff times were moved from 4 p.m. local time to 6 p.m. to try to reduce the effects of the region's heat and humidity. The 42,000-capacity Arena da Amazonia, with its lattice roof of diamond panels that look like snake scales, will also host Cameroon vs. Croatia on June 18 and Honduras vs. Switzerland on June 25. Construction at the Arena da Amazonia was marked by three workers' deaths, including one who fell 115 feet (35 meters) while working on the stadium's roof. Many in Brazil criticized the choice of Manaus as a host city because it is distant from the country's football centers and doesn't have traditional clubs or significant championships.CUIABA World Cup host city Cuiaba is the capital of Mato Grosso state in the west of Brazil, near Bolivia. The state boasts about 29 million head of cattle -- 10 times the human population. The town was established during the 18th century as a gold-mining outpost, and it still has some of that frontier mentality and spirit. The new stadium, which was only inaugurated this month, is Arena Pantanal. It will seat 43,000 spectators and was built on the site of a former stadium. The stadium will be host to four games, beginning with Chile vs. Australia on June 13. That will be followed by: Russia vs. South Korea on June 17; Nigeria vs. Bosnia on June 21; and Japan vs. Colombia on June 24. Cuiaba is one of four World Cup venues with a new or rebuilt stadium that doesn't have a top-flight club to occupy it.SAO PAULO South America's biggest city will be the first to see some action at the World Cup when Brazil plays Croatia at the stadium where a crane collapse killed two workers last year. The accident at the Itaquerao Stadium caused significant damage and delays, and constructors have said parts of the roof won't be finished before the June 12 opener. That game will be the first in the stadium with a capacity crowd, as not all temporary seats were installed for test events. Built by popular Brazilian club Corinthians, the stadium became one of the biggest concerns for FIFA in the run-up to the tournament. The stadium will hold nearly 70,000 people in the opener, but after the World Cup its capacity will be reduced to about 45,000. The box-shaped Arena Corinthians is nicknamed Itaquerao because it's located in Itaquera, a lower-middle class neighborhood in the city's east side. In addition to the opening match, the stadium will host three other group matches: Uruguay vs. England on June 19; Netherlands vs. Chile on June 23; and South Korea vs. Belgium on June 26. In the knockout stages, it will host a match in the round of 16 on July 1 and a semifinal match on July 8. Considered Brazil's financial center, Sao Paulo is also known for its terrible street traffic. Although there is a subway line that reaches the Itaquerao, it won't be easy for fans to get to the stadium without significant delays. It will help, though, that city officials are expected to declare holidays on match days during the World Cup.PORTO ALEGREPorto Alegre is one of the most tradition-rich football cities in Brazil, providing the perfect background for World Cup matches. The city is divided nearly equally by fans from Internacional and Gremio, a cross-town rivalry that is one of the most intense in the country. World Cup matches will be held at Internacional's newly refurbished Beira-Rio Stadium, and teams are expected to practice at Gremio's recently built arena, which could also easily host tournament matches. The city of about 1.4 million people, a hotspot for German immigrants, is hosting four group games: France vs. Honduras on June 15; Australia vs. Netherlands on June 18; South Korea vs. Algeria on June 22; and Nigeria vs. Argentina on June 25. The Beira-Rio will also host a match in the round of 16 that will include the winner of Group G, possibly Germany. Porto Alegre is the most southern of the 12 World Cup venues, so colder weather could be a factor in some of the matches at the 50,000-capacity Beira-Rio. The stadium was in the middle of a controversy after local organizers said there was a risk the venue couldn't be used in the World Cup because of a dispute over who would pay for the temporary facilities required by FIFA. Football's governing body had to put pressure on local officials, who eventually reached a deal to guarantee the structures would be installed in time for the tournament.RECIFE With its rivers, beaches and coral reefs, the northeastern city of Recife is nicknamed the Venice of Brazil. Recife will host five World Cup matches at the 44,000-capacity Arena Pernambuco, which was also used at last year's Confederations Cup. Recife means "reef" in Portuguese. Along with Fortaleza, it is regarded as the most important city of Brazil's northeast. It is also represents one of the poorest regions of the country, and the stadium -- on the outskirts of the city -- was built in the hope of stimulating development. The opening World Cup match at the Arena Pernambuco will be Ivory Coast vs. Japan on June 14. Other matches include: Italy vs. Costa Rica on June 20; Croatia vs. Mexico on June 23; and United States vs. Germany on June 26. The group matches will be followed by another in the round of 16. The stadium is located on the outskirts of town, so it would be a good idea to get an early start on game day with bad traffic very likely. The city if bounded by sand beaches and swaying palms, but signs along the beach warn tourists to beware of sharks.