Estadio Do Maracana, officially named Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is used mostly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Brazilian clubs Flamengo and Fluminense, among others.
Opened on 16 June 1950 for the FIFA World Cup, it replaced the older Estadio de las Laranjeiras. With the capacity to hold approximately 78,838 spectators, it is the largest stadium in Brazil and the second largest in South America. The stadium was designed by architects Raphael Galvão, Pedro Paulo Bernardes Bastos, Orlando Azevedo, and Antônio Dias Carneiro.
Being a FIFA category four stadium and one of the biggest stadiums by capacity in the world, Estadio Do Maracana has hosted numerous high-profile events. It was the venue for the final matches of the 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the football tournament of the 2016 Summer Olympics. The stadium also played host to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics. In a 2013 poll by The Guardian, Estadio Do Maracana was voted as one of the world's top sporting venues. By its 70th anniversary, Estadio Do Maracana had welcomed more than 70 million spectators. The stadium is likely to be a primary venue for future international tournaments hosted by Brazil.
While the previous Maracana stadium was also officially named 'Estádio do Maracanã', both the old and the new stadia are invariably referred to by their unofficial name, Estadio Do Maracana. Maracana is the name of the neighborhood the stadium was built on, on the border between the parishes of Tijuca and São Cristóvão, which itself derives its name from the nearby Igreja de São Sebastião do Maracanã (Church of St. Sebastian of Maracana). This unofficial name caught on soon after the original stadium's construction; the people of Rio de Janeiro used to simply call it o Maracanã ('the Maracana'). Therefore, the stadium's common name became 'Estadio Do Maracana', which is usually anglicized to 'Maracana Stadium'. This translation, however, could be argued to be inaccurate, since Maracana refers not to 'maracana' but to the original address of the stadium: Rua Professor Eurico Rabelo ('Professor Eurico Rabelo Street'). The Maracana Stadium is one of the most iconic football venues in the world, known for its grandeur and history. It was originally opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, and it was here that Brazil suffered the infamous 'Maracanazo' defeat to Uruguay in the tournament's final. Over the years, Maracana has been the stage for numerous memorable matches, showcasing some of the greatest players in football history. It has also been a venue for other significant events, including concerts and religious gatherings. The stadium underwent major renovations for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, preserving its status as a symbol of Brazilian football and a landmark in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Despite changes and modernizations, Maracana remains steeped in history and continues to be a place of great emotional resonance for football fans in Brazil and around the world.
An apt location, with excellent accessibility and sufficient space for future development, was recognized in the Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. Being strategically located, the stadium soon came to be known as 'Estadio Do Maracana'.
The club always intended to possess both the stadium and the surrounding lands, though initially, a lease was made on the municipal terrains, with a final purchase occurring only in 1950. The blueprint for the sports complex had been drafted as early as in the late 1940s by Waldir Amaral, a former player for the club.
Spurred by the club's president, Mário Rodrigues Filho, the associates managed an increased fee for supporting the construction costs for the new stadium, offered substantial donations, and some even volunteered to work on the construction site during holidays or weekends. There was even a 'cement campaign', where large quantities of cement bags were donated to the club.
The construction officially commenced on 2 August 1950. Less than four years later, at a cost of CR$1.5 billion, on 16 June 1950, a crowd of 199,854 spectators filled the stadium for the inaugural match between Brazil and Mexico in the World Cup.
Estádio do Maracanã (1950): Detailed historical account of the Estadio Do Maracana in Portuguese. http://www.flamengoefluminense.com.br
Estádio do Maracanã (O Gigante) – until 2003: Comprehensive information about the stadium until 2003. http://www.stadiumdb.com
O Maracanã não se apaga: A Portuguese book detailing the history and significance of the Maracana stadium. http://www.primebooks.pt
Flamengo & Fluminense 100 gloriosos anos - A História 1: A historical account of the two most popular football clubs that use the Maracana stadium as their home ground. http://www.edicaoconteudos.com
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