Maracanã

Maracanã, officially Estádio do Maracanã, is a football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Located in the Maracanã neighborhood near Guanabara Bay, it is one of the most recognizable venues in world football. The stadium’s formal name has changed over time, including a period in which it was titled Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, but the name Maracanã remains in common use.

Construction and design: Built for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the stadium opened in 1950 as one of the largest football venues in the world. Its bowl-shaped, open-air design and tiered seating were intended to accommodate vast crowds. Original capacity was nearly 200,000 spectators, but renovations have reduced seated capacity to about 78,000.

Major events: The stadium is famous for the 1950 World Cup final, known as the Maracanazo, when Uruguay defeated Brazil 2–1 in front of a home crowd. It has hosted numerous international matches, Brazilian domestic finals, and high-profile concerts. During the 2010s it underwent substantial renovations for the Confederations Cup and the World Cup. It hosted the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final.

Current use and significance: Today the Maracanã is a primary venue for football in Rio de Janeiro and hosts matches for major local clubs, most notably Flamengo, as well as other events. It remains an iconic symbol of Brazilian football and a landmark in Rio de Janeiro.