(this post courtesy VOA French-to-Africa correspondent Nicolas Pinault, who is in Brazil for the tournament. check out the French World Cup blog at http://football.lavoixdelamerique.com)

With the start of the World Cup just hours away, VOA looks at the facts and figures behind some of the coolest – and costliest – World Cup stadiums:

SAO PAULO

Arena Corinthians/Arena de Sao Paulo
Capacity: 69,160
Cost: between 920 and 950 million reals (between $410 and $425 million), an increase of 14-18% compared to the initial budget.

The construction of this stadium was supposed to be a success to mark the launch of the tournament. But this stadium has been anything but successful: not only is the roof not completed, but three workers have died since the beginning of the construction.

MANAUS

Arena da Amazonia
Capacity: 44,000
Cost: 670 million reals ($299 million)

At the end of May, the city of Manaus declared a state of emergency after heavy rainfall, impacting the Arena Amazonia. Four tournament matches are scheduled to take place there, including England vs. Italy and Cameroon vs. Croatia.

NATAL

Arena das Dunas
Capacity: 42,000
Cost: 400 million reals ($178.5 million)

Noted stadium architect Christopher Lee, who designed the Arena Das Dunas, called it “the most perfect stadium in South America.” But FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke seemed to disagree, writing on Twitter in late May: “We have a race against the clock, there is still much to do for the fans and the media,” referring to a lack of seats in the unfinished arena.

RIO DE JANEIRO

Maracana
Capacity: 78,838
Cost: 1.2 billion reals ($535 million)

For many players, it is a dream come true to play in this legendary stadium, which hosted World Cup matches in 1950. But for Brazil, it’s a nightmare – the Brazilian national team lost to neighbor Uruguay by 2-1 in the 1950 World Cup final, a match considered one of the biggest upsets in football history.

BRASILIA

Mane Garrincha Stadium Nacional
Capacity: 72,000 spectators
Cost: 1.403 billion reals ($624.6 million)

The most expensive of the twelve stadiums, the National Stadium was fully renovated, and construction was complete in 2012. But problems persisted: the roof had to be repaired due to significant water leaks. By the time final costs were calculated, the stadium was the second-most expensive in the world, behind England’s famed Wembley Stadium.

Other World Cup Stadiums

Stadium (Location)	Capacity	Cost
Arena da Baixada (Curitiba)	43,000	320 million reals ($142 million)
Arena Pantanal (Cuiaba)	44,000	570 million reals ($254.4 million)
Stade Beira (Porto Alegre)	49,989	330 million reals ($147.2 million)
Stade Mineirao (Belo Horizonte)	62,160	695 million reals ($310 million)
Stade Castelao (Fortaleza)	63,903	518 million reals ($231 million)
Arena Pernambuco (Recife)	46,000	532.6 million reals ($237.6 million)
Arena Fonte Nova (Salvador)	55,000	689.4 million reals ($307.4 million)

Source: AFP | Photos: AP