A day after he warned that Sao Paulo could be kicked out of next year’s World Cup because of construction delay in building its stadium, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke guaranteed on Wednesday, May 15 that Brazil’s largest city would remain a host venue for football’s biggest event, AP reported.

“The World Cup will be played in 12 host cities,” Valcke said. “One of them is called Sao Paulo. There will be a meeting and we will sort the situation. And with the support … of the government I can tell you that this stadium will be delivered in December 2013.”

Sao Paulo’s stadium construction like many projects for the 2014 World Cup is running behind schedule, and an official said earlier this month it would miss FIFA’s deadline for all stadiums to be ready by December 2013.