RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — About 300,000 visitors from around the world are expected to attend World Cup matches across Brazil, from the steamy Amazon region in the north to the chillier pampa climes in the south to Rio de Janeiro, where the Christ the Redeemer statue spreads his arms high above the Maracana stadium where the tournament’s final game will be.

The monthlong event starts June 12, when Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paulo, hosts the game opener.