Last week, FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke would not speculate whether Curitiba had been dropped as a World Cup venue but said a decision will be made this week. "We will communicate the final decision to the teams as promised (next week)," Valcke said. The venue was one of the newer stadiums in Brazil, originally built in 1999, though endured problems with the upgrade process highlighted by the suspension of all renovation works in October last year due to safety concerns. The state government of Parana reportedly sought to borrow up to $100 million from a government bank recently in order to fast-track construction and even hire more workers. The potential axing of Curitiba has a host city would throw the itinerary of the Socceroos and travelling Australian supporters into disarray as well as posing a logistical nightmare for the tournament's organisers.

Already, the distance between host cities in the Brazil cup is one of the greatest ever in a World Cup and the record number of spectators and tourists will place a significant strain on local infrastructure. There are problems at another Socceroos venue, with an independent inspector to investigate possible structural damage caused by a fire at the World Cup stadium Cuiaba in western Brazil, which is to host Australia's first match, against Chile, on June 13. The inspection follows a report that the blaze was far worse than government officials had said. The inspector, whose visit to the stadium in the city of Cuiaba was already scheduled for Monday, will report his findings back to world soccer body FIFA and Brazilian officials, FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said on Sunday. "We're looking into the allegations" that the fire caused structural damage to the stadium, Fischer said.

It was reported on Saturday that the October 25 fire at the still-unfinished Arena Pantanal caused structural damage that could "compromise the overall stability of the construction," according to a previously undisclosed report by state prosecutors in Mato Grosso state. The 18-page document, which was written in December based on an inspection by a local civil engineer, contains photos that it says are of cracked concrete in the stadium's pillars as well as less severe damage to its steel frame. It is unclear whether the damage described in the report has since been fixed. State government officials overseeing construction of the stadium have continued to describe the fire as minor, saying it caused no structural damage. Federal prosecutors said last week they were opening their own investigation into the fire based on the state prosecutors' report. FIFA said it was previously "unaware" of any structural damage at the facility. Arena Pantanal is one of 12 stadiums due to host games when the World Cup kicks off on June 12. The stadium missed a December deadline to complete construction, although state officials say it will be finished next month.

FIFA's secretary general, Jerome Valcke, is due to visit three World Cup venues in Brazil this week. Cuiabá is not on his itinerary. The first pre-World Cup test scheduled for Arena Pantanal is a game between Brazilian soccer teams set for early April. Mato Grosso state prosecutors say they will not allow the stadium to be used for games until they are certain the facility is safe. The World Cup matches scheduled for Cuiaba are June 13, between Chile and Australia; June 17, between Russia and South Korea; June 21, between Nigeria and Bosnia, and June 24, between Japan and Colombia. Meanwhile, Valcke has criticised the decision of a Brazilian host city Recife to cancel its Fan Fest, saying the event, which allows thousands of fans to watch games for free on large screens, is an important part of the World Cup. Valcke made his comment on Sunday after the northeastern city of Recife said it will not spend public money on a Fan Fest, which lets fans without tickets watch matches in public areas.

"Not having a Fan Fest is a mistake, to make it very clear," Valcke said. Loading While Recife was the first city to officially cancel the event, others among the 12 host cities have expressed concerns about whether it is worth spending public money on events which usually combine football with musical and cultural attractions. Local vendors are not allowed in the Fan Fest and only official World Cup sponsors can sell products inside the Fan Fest area.