A failure by the city to provide financial guarantees saw FIFA blacklist the proposed venue, the Morumbi stadium, which needs major renovation work.

Ricardo Teixeira, a FIFA executive committee member and chairman of the local organising committee, told a media briefing today: "If Sao Paulo wants to host the opening game or any game in the competition, the deadline is getting close.

"Cape Town built its stadium in two and a half years, so we are dangerously close to the limit."

FIFA have been tearing their hair out at the pace of work in Brazil with secretary general Jerome Valcke saying in May it was "amazing" that "virtually nothing had been done".

Teixeira insisted that work was now under way on a large scale.

"The situation is completely different," he said.

"Some of the stadia have commenced building. We have already defined exactly what's going to be happening in terms of budgets for the construction up to December."

There are further doubts over Curitiba as a host city, also due to financial guarantees.

Organisers have to wrestle with the huge size of Brazil - described as "a continent rather than a country" by Valcke - and are looking to split it into four zones where fans will face a maximum flight time of two hours between cities.

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Sepp Blatter has said it would be a "wonderful moment" if Nelson Mandela is well enough to present the World Cup to the winning captain on Sunday.

Mandela has been given an open invitation to attend the final in Soccer City after missing the opening ceremony following the death of his great granddaughter in a car crash.

FIFA president Blatter said: "If he can come to the stadium good, and if he can stay for the whole final I don't know. He had this trophy in his hand in June 2004 [when South Africa won the bid for 2010] and it would be a wonderful moment for him and for football for Africa if this could be a possibility."

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Bert van Marwijk has displayed a dry sense of humour on several occasions during this tournament, and there was no exception at his press conference today.

He dealt with three questions from a Dutch news channel in short, sharp fashion.

Question one: Are you able to sleep before games. Answer: Yes.

Question two: What's your message to the kids in Holland who are biting their nails? Answer: Don't do it.

Who will carry the World Cup back to Holland if we win? No one as we are not allowed to [it stays with FIFA].

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Xabi Alonso is a key member of what is already regarded as the best Spain team ever but his dad Miguel 'Periko' Alonso was a member of the La Roja side regarded as one of the most disappointing.

Alonso senior was in the team that lost 1-0 to a Gerry Armstrong-inspired Northern Ireland on home turf in the 1982 World Cup.

Hosts Spain went on to draw 0-0 with England in the second group phase, a result which was no good for either side and sent Germany through to the semi-finals.