( CNN ) -- There are less than five months to go until the World Cup begins in Brazil but the clock is ticking for another of the global football fiesta 's host cities . Curitiba , the capital of the southern state of Parana , is so behind with its stadium renovations that FIFA could strip it of its host status . On a trip to inspect the venue Tuesday , Jerome Valcke , secretary general of the sport 's governing body , told reporters : `` You can not organize games if you do not have a stadium -- that 's obvious . `` If you do n't have a stadium then you can not have four games taking place here . So that 's why again there is this emergency situation . '' FIFA has now given builders in the city of Curitiba a new deadline of February 18 to show a marked improvement in the stadium . The Arena de Baixada venue , home to Atletico Paranaense , is being expanded for the World Cup with new seats added alongside the pitch and capacity raised to 40,000 . It is understood to now be 90 % complete but has progressed little since the end of November , when it was 88 % done . Work on the stadium was also halted in October when a local judge intervened because of concerns that workers were at serious risk of being injured . `` We are not expecting the stadium to be ready on February 18 , '' Valcke continued . `` What we are expecting is to see a progress and to understand where we are going and that is what is being put in place today . '' Luis Fernandes , executive secretary of Brazil 's Ministry of Sport , agreed with Valcke 's criticism , saying : `` If the pace of work at the stadium in Curitiba were to be kept as it is , then it would not be ready to host the World Cup . `` With this is mind , we agreed that we would take steps to guarantee that the arena would be ready to host the games scheduled to be held there . '' Those steps include `` scaling up '' work on the stadium and an injection of an extra $ 16.5 million from the Parana government 's development fund . World Cup holder Spain is due to play the first match at the stadium against Australia on June 26 . A total of 12 venues scattered throughout Brazil are due to host World Cup games this summer but many of them have been beset with problems . Five workers have died on World Cup stadium construction sites , the latest the death of Marcleudo de Melo Ferreira , who fell from the roof of a stadium in the Amazonian city of Manaus in December . Many of the stadiums are behind with their construction deadlines and there have been concerns that Brazil 's transport network could create major logistical problems . Preparations for the World Cup have also been controversial in Brazil . Protesters are outraged at what they consider lavish spending on the World Cup as well as the 2016 Olympic Games . Brazil has not hosted the World Cup since 1950 -- when it lost 2-1 in the deciding match to Uruguay . The 2014 tournament is due to open on June 12 with Brazil taking on Croatia in Sao Paulo 's Arena Corinthians -- a stadium which has had its own renovation issues .
FIFA warns of `` emergency situation '' in World Cup host city Curitiba as construction slows . Builders are given new deadline of February 18 to show progress at the Arena de Baixada . Brazil 's Ministry of Sport pledges to upscale work and inject an extra $ 16.5 million . The 2014 World Cup begins on June 12 when hosts Brazil take on Croatia in Sao Paulo .