Maracanã Stadium
Stadium in Rio de Janeiro / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maracanã Stadium (Portuguese: Estádio do Maracanã, Portuguese pronunciation: [esˈtadʒi.u du maɾakɐˈnɐ̃]), officially named Jornalist Mário Filho Stadium (Portuguese: Estádio Jornalista Mario Filho; [isˈtadʒ(i)u ʒoʁnaˈlistɐ ˈmaɾi.u ˈfiʎu]), is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The stadium is part of a complex that includes an arena known by the name of Maracanãzinho, which means "The Little Maracanã" in Portuguese. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro state government, the stadium is now managed by the clubs Fluminense and Flamengo. It is located in the Maracanã neighborhood, named after the Rio Maracanã, a now canalized river in Rio de Janeiro.
Maracanã | |
Former names | Estádio Municipal (1950–1966)[1] |
---|---|
Location | Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro |
Public transit | Maracanã Station SuperVia train services Metrô Rio line 2 |
Owner | Rio de Janeiro State Government |
Operator | CR Flamengo and Fluminense FC |
Capacity | 73,139[2] |
Record attendance | 199,854–210,000[3] (Uruguay–Brazil, 16 July 1950) |
Field size | 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft) |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Broke ground | 2 July 1948; 76 years ago (1948-07-02) |
Opened | 16 June 1950; 74 years ago (1950-06-16) |
Renovated | 2000, 2006, 2013 |
Architect | Waldir Ramos, Raphael Galvão, Miguel Feldman, Oscar Valdetaro, Pedro Paulo B. Bastos, Orlando Azevedo, Antônio Dias Carneiro |
Tenants | |
Botafogo (1950–2007) Flamengo (1950–present) Fluminense (1950–present) Vasco da Gama (1950–present) Brazil national football team (selected matches) |
The stadium was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, in which Brazil was beaten 2–1 by Uruguay in the deciding game, in front of a still standing record attendance of 173,850 spectators, on 16 July 1950.[4] The venue has seen attendances of 150,000 or more at 26 occasions and has seen crowds of more than 100,000 as many as 284 times.[4] But as terraced sections have been replaced with seats over time, and after the renovation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, its original capacity has been reduced to the current 73,139,[2] but it remains the largest stadium in Brazil and the third largest in South America after Estadio Monumental in Argentina and Estadio Monumental in Peru.[5] Fluminense and Flamengo still own the all-time club record attendance, with 194,603 spectators supporting its clubs in the world famous Fla–Flu derby in 1963.
The stadium is mainly used for football matches between the major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro, including Fluminense, Flamengo, Botafogo, and Vasco da Gama. It has also hosted a number of concerts and other sporting events. It was the main venue for the 2007 Pan American Games, hosting the football tournament and the opening and closing ceremonies. The Maracanã was partially rebuilt in preparation for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2014 World Cup, for which it hosted several matches, including the final. It is also set to host matches for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, most likely to host the final. It served as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, with the main track and field events taking place at the Estádio Olímpico. The stadium was also chosen to host the 2020 and 2023 Copa Libertadores finals.