Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff defended her government's preparations for the World Cup football tournament amid criticism over chronic delays and soaring costs. Brazil has been racing to complete five of the 12 host stadiums—including Sao Paulo's Corinthians Arena, which will host the June 12 opening match—and deal with a series of demonstrations against the $11 billion cost of hosting the tournament. Rousseff partially blamed global football governing body FIFA for the spiraling costs but said the money spent would leave a positive legacy. Specifically, the president said FIFA had assured Brazil that host stadiums would be built with private money. But her government eventually realized private-sector investment would not even cover "half a stadium," and provided most of the financing itself, Rousseff told reporters in Brasilia late Tuesday.
