Loaf sugar
Maracana Stadium
The
Estádio do Maracanã (
Brazilian Portuguese: [eʃˈtadʒiu du maɾakɐˈnɐ̃]), officially
Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an open-air stadium in
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. Owned by the
Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the
Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the
FIFA World Cup, and in the final game Brazil was beaten 2-1 by Uruguay. Since then, it has mainly been used for football matches between the major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro, including
Botafogo,
Flamengo,
Fluminense, and
Vasco da Gama. It has also hosted a number of concerts and other sporting events. Although the paid attendance at the final game of the
1950 FIFA World Cup was 199,854, the stadium currently seats 82,238 spectators.
[2] It was the main venue of the
2007 Pan American Games, hosting the football final and the opening and closing ceremonies.
Estadio maracana world's largest
Over time, however, the stadium also has become a multi-character space to receive other events such as shows and games from other sports, such as volleyball. After several works of modernization, the current capacity of the stadium is 82,238 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Brazil and South America.
The Maracanã is currently closed for renovations and upgrades, and will reach a total capacity of around 85,000 spectators in preparations for the
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, the
2014 World Cup, the
2015 Copa America, the
2016 Summer Olympics, and the
2016 Summer Paralympics. The stadium reopening is forecasted for early 2013.
