Maracanã Stadium

The iconic temple of Brazilian football, home to legendary matches and record crowds.

Estádio do Maracanã, officially known as Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Located in the Maracanã neighborhood, it is owned by the Rio de Janeiro state government and managed by the clubs Flamengo and Fluminense. It is part of a complex that includes an arena known as Maracanãzinho, mostly used for volleyball events. The stadium was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup. Its original capacity has been reduced to the current 73,139 after renovations following the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, 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.

Quick Facts

Full name

Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho

Former names

Estádio Municipal (1950–1966)

Location

Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Public transit

Maracanã Station
SuperVia train services
Metrô Rio line 2

Owner

Rio de Janeiro State Government

Operator

Flamengo and Fluminense

Capacity

73,139

Record attendance

173,850 (officially)

Lore & Background

The stadium was named in 1966 in honor of the recently deceased Mário Filho, a Pernambucan sports journalist and brother of Nelson Rodrigues, who was a strong vocal supporter of the construction of the Maracanã. The popular name 'Maracanã' derives from the Maracanã River, which originates in the jungle-covered hills to the west. The name comes from the indigenous Tupi word for a type of parrot that inhabited the region. The stadium construction was prior to the formation of the later Maracanã neighborhood, which was once part of Tijuca. The stadium of Red Star Belgrade, the Red Star Stadium, is popularly called Marakana in honor of the Brazilian stadium. In March 2021, the Rio de Janeiro state legislature voted to change the venue's name to the Edson Arantes do Nascimento - Rei Pele stadium, but the Rio de Janeiro state governor must approve the name change before it becomes official.

Reader's Guide

The stadium is mainly 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 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 for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup, for which it hosted several matches, including the final. It is set to host matches during the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. It served as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, with track and field events at the Estádio Olímpico. It hosted the final for the 2019 and 2021 Copa America. The stadium was also chosen to host the 2020 and 2023 Copa Libertadores finals.

Did You Know?

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 on 16 July 1950, in front of a still standing record attendance of 210,850 spectators.
The venue has seen attendances of 150,000 or more on 26 occasions and crowds of more than 100,000 as many as 284 times.
Fluminense and Flamengo own the all-time club record attendance, with 194,603 spectators supporting its clubs in the Fla–Flu derby in 1963.
The first match at the stadium took place on 16 June 1950, with Rio de Janeiro All-Stars beating São Paulo All-Stars 3–1; Didi scored the first ever goal at the stadium.
The official attendance of the 1950 final was 199,854, with the actual attendance estimated to be about 210,000.