England Hopes To Prep For World Cup By Facing Brazil In Rio De Janiero

England is "hoping to prepare" for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil by playing the host country at Rio de Janiero's Maracanã stadium on next summer’s tour, according to Charles Sale of the London DAILY MAIL. The Maracanã, "which rivals Wembley as the most-famous football ground in the world," is currently undergoing renovations ahead of the World Cup and the 2016 Games. The stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies. It is expected that construction work will "finally be completed" in time for England to perform there next June in a key friendly that will take the World Cup build-up to another level. The FA is also at the front of the queue for '14, "even ahead of the Germans for once," on its choice of Brazilian training locations, with a Rio base the first option (DAILY MAIL, 10/16).