A Rio 2016 spokesman confirmed to insidethegames discussions over the venues are ongoing, after concerns were raised that the pitches could suffer from over-usage.

The overuse of pitches would be a consequence of a congested group stage schedule which would see pitches hosting two matches a day until the knock-out phase of the tournament gets underway.

Rio 2016 confirmed that the Rio 2016 Organising Committee were in discussions with FIFA over the issue and that a decision is likely to be reached in February.

The competition will take place from August 3 to 16 and will see the men's event feature 16 teams and the female event 12 teams.

The Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro will host the Opening and Closing Ceremony of Rio 2016 ©Getty Images


Currently there are five cities that are due to host Olympic football matches, with Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, Fonte Nova in Salvador, Mané Garrincha in Brasília and the Mineirão Stadium in Belo Horizonte the venues outside Rio de Janerio.

The Maracanã Stadium will stage the Rio 2016 Opening and Closing ceremony in the host city Rio, while the stadium also played host to the final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Mexico are the current holders of the men's competition having overcome Brazil in the 2012 final in London, with the United States claiming the women's title beating Japan in London's Wembley Stadium.

The news of the further cities potentially hosting football matches comes after concerns about the construction of Rio 2016 venues, with a legal challenge opposing the construction of the golf course being rejected and delays having been experienced with the construction of various other venues.

The discussion also follows the outcome of the International Olympic Committee's Agenda 2020 reform process last month, where a recommendation was approved potentially allowing more events to be held outside the host city in order to save costs. 

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