Brazil starts 1,000-day countdown to World Cup

RIO DE JANEIRO—Brazil on Friday launched its countdown to the 2014 World Cup, ticking off the 1,000 days before it hosts the top international football tournament.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff kicked off the event in the city of Belo Horizonte by announcing new infrastructure investments and renewing her pledge that her country would be ready, despite facing a formidable list of problems and being behind schedule.

“Investing in infrastructure is a way of saying no to the international crisis affecting countries in the eurozone and the United States,” said Rousseff, who was accompanied by retired football great Pele, named as Brazil’s World Cup ambassador.

Brazil’s O Globo newspaper noted that, within the next 1,000 days, the country has to complete 52 major works, 12 stadiums, change several laws and decide its team’s selection.