SEOUL, May 23: Seoul is expecting more than 3.5 billion people around the globe to tune in for the opening of the World Cup finals next week, mayor Goh Kun said on Thursday.

Describing Seoul as “the world’s most wired city”, Goh Kun said he was confident his city’s meticulous preparations will ensure the tournament gets off to a smooth start on May 31 when holders France play Senegal after the opening ceremony.

“It’s time for us to greet visitors with open hearts and warm hearts,” Goh said in an interview with Reuters. “We have made perfect preparations, at least in terms of hardware.”

Seoul is a sprawling city of 10 million with ancient palaces, glistening skyscrapers and craggy mountain outcrops, but the influence of the World Cup is now dominating the landscape.

Crews of workmen are busy adding the last dabs of paint to the new stadium, new subways and roads as tens of thousands of foreign visitors prepare to descend on the city.

“The biggest problem is we just don’t know exactly how many people are coming, especially from France and China,” Goh said.

Goh said at least 20,000 supporters from China — making their first appearance in the finals — were expected at the first World Cup finals to be staged in Asia.

The World Cup is the biggest international event to be staged in the city since it hosted the Olympics in 1988.—Reuters