Maracanã Stadium

The Maracanã Stadium s a football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Owned by the Rio de Janeiro state government, it is, as is the Maracanã neighborhood where it is located, named after the Rio Maracanã, a now canalized river in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, in which Brazil were beaten 2–1 by Uruguay in the deciding game.

Since then, it has mainly been used for football matches between the major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro, including Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama. It has also hosted a number of concerts and other sporting events.

Although the total attendance at the final game of the 1950 FIFA World Cup was 199,854 (being the world's largest stadium by capacity, when it was inaugurated), the stadium currently seats 78,838 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Brazil and the second in South America after Estadio Monumental in Peru. It was the main venue of 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, the 2014 World Cup, which was the first to be held in Brazil since 1950, and also the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The stadium also hosted the final of the 2014 World Cup.