Fans looking forward to seeing the World Cup's opening match in 3D on the cinema screen could be in for a disappointment.

Plans to screen the match live next Friday are up in the air because of the high cost and fears that fans won't be too keen to pay to watch a game in the relative calm of a cinema.

Stellar Cinema City in Super Brand Mall, one of the only two cinemas planning to show the match, is not now going ahead while Dadi Digital Cinema, in the Dahua area of Baoshan District, has still not made a decision.

"Our officials are still discussing it," said Xie Donglin, Dadi's public relations manager.

As the first 3D World Cup, 25 of the tournament's 64 matches will be broadcast live in 3D. However, cinemas in China have not shown much enthusiasm. Only 40 throughout the country applied for the right to broadcast live matches, just two of them in Shanghai.

To screen live football matches in 3D, a cinema has to install a direct broadcast satellite receiver system, which costs about 200,000 yuan (US$29,290). Then there is a 50,000 yuan broadcast fee.

As some of the matches will be on at 2am, there would be extra operational costs. As a result, a ticket for a 3D World Cup match could be as much as 200 yuan (US$29).

There's also the problem that the peace and quiet of a cinema might not be viewed by enthusiastic fans as the best place to view a sport which inspires so much passion.

The opening ceremony and first match is at 10pm next Friday Beijing time at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium. South Africa play Mexico.