"We've been told they (the company) will take care of everything," said Luis Parra, a 43-year-old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. "We'll just worry about the game, I'm sure we'll be fine going back, they'll arrange something."

Brazilian soccer fans celebrate a goal as they watch the World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Japan on a video screen in Rio de Janeiro June 22, 2006. [Reuters]

Parra and his group were expected to return to Brazil on Saturday, two days following Brazil's match against Japan on Thursday in Dortmund.

Varig suspended service indefinitely to dozens of destinations and canceled more than half of its flights, causing potential travel headaches for Brazilian fans at the World Cup and possibly even the national team.

Brazil traditionally flies by Varig to and from tournaments. The Brazilian Soccer Confederation said on Thursday, however, that the national team was not expected to be affected by Varig's situation.

"There's no reason to worry about this at the moment," CBF spokesman Rodrigo Paiva told The Associated Press. "Transportation will not be a problem for the national team."

Varig, or Viacao Aerea Rio-Grandense SA, in a statement Wednesday called the suspensions "temporary" but did not say how long they would last as the carrier negotiates with jet leasing companies and tries to emerge from an increasingly bleak bankruptcy reorganization process.

"(The company) told us there will be flights to take us back to Brazil," said 33-year-old Fernando Costa, who was scheduled to return on Saturday. "But, hey, if they tell me that I need to stay here until the final (on July 9), I'm not going to complaint."

The government has stressed that it will find ways to bring Brazilians home if they are stranded.

Defense Minister Waldir Pires didn't rule out the possibility of using Brazilian Air Force planes to handle the crush of returning Brazilians in coming weeks, but told reporters that would only happen in a worst case scenario. The best solution, he said, would be for Brazilian carriers that already fly overseas to somehow meet the demand.

Varig canceled 180 of its 356 flights in Brazil, Latin America, Europe and the United States, Brazil's Agencia Estado news service reported. The company did not say how many passengers were affected.

Late Wednesday, Brazil's Civil Aviation Authority said it had struck deals with Germany's Lufthansa AG to honor Varig tickets to and from Munich; with Italy's Alitalia SpA for service to Milan; and with Brazil's TAM Linhas Aereas SA for routes to London and Paris.