[WORLD CUP 2014] Sao Paulo's new stadium being built in the Itaquerao neighborhood will host the opening match and Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium will be the site of the final for the 2014 World Cup, which will be held June 12-July 13.

(Click here for match schedule by venue.)

The tournament will be held in 12 cities across Brazil, from Fortaleza in the north to Porto Alegre in the south and Manaus in the western Amazon region.

Like the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the 2014 World Cup will be held in the winter, and the climate will vary drastically by venue.

It's more than 2,000 miles between Fortaleza and Porto Alegre, about the distance between New York and Salt Lake City, so travel will be a big issue.

To complicate matters, work on Brazil's airports is considered to be the country's biggest challenge ahead of the tournament.