<\/p>\n

Key facts<\/h3>\n

Clubs: CR Flamengo & Fluminense FC | Opening: 1950 | Capacity: 78,838 seats<\/p>\n

History and description<\/h3>\n

Maracan\u00e3, officially called Est\u00e1dio M\u00e1rio Filho, was built to serve as the flagship venue for the 1950 World Cup. It was meant to become the biggest football stadium in the world.<\/p>\n

Construction began in August 1948 and was completed almost two years later. Maracan\u00e3 officially opened on 16 June 1950 with a friendly between a selection of players from Rio de Janeiro and S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/p>\n

Eight days later, Maracan\u00e3 hosted the opening match of the 1950 World Cup between Brazil and Mexico (4-0). It would go on to host four more matches in the first round group stage and a further three in the second round stage, among which the deciding final match between Uruguay and Brazil (2-1).<\/p>\n

The official attendance of the final was about 173,000 paying spectators, but it is estimated that more than 200,000 witnessed the game live from the stands.<\/p>\n

The stadium was officially renamed in 1966 following the death of Brazilian journalist M\u00e1rio Filho, but most people have kept referring to the stadium as Maracan\u00e3.<\/p>\n

Maracan\u00e3 hardly changed until the 1990s, when a deathly accident and resulting safety measures greatly reduced capacity. Shortly later it got converted into an all-seater.<\/p>\n

When Brazil got awarded the 2014 World Cup<\/a> in 2007, it was clear that Maracan\u00e3 was destined to host the final and would therefore need a massive redevelopment.<\/p>\n

Building works started in 2010 and involved the complete rebuilding of the bottom tier and the installation of a new roof with a capacity of 79,000 seats as a result. The stadium reopened on 2 June 2013 with a friendly international between Brazil and England (2-2).<\/p>\n

During the 2014 World Cup, Maracana hosted seven matches, including the quarter-final between Germany and France (1-0) and the final between Germany and Argentina (1-0). It also hosted several matches and the final of the 2013 Confederations Cup, and multiple matches and the finals of the 2016 Olympics Football tournaments.<\/p>\n

Maracan\u00e3 is owned by the state of Rio de Janeiro, but has grown to become the regular home of Flamengo and Fluminense. Other Rio clubs such as Botafogo and Vasco da Gama also occasionally use the stadium for high-profile matches.<\/p>\n\n\n \t\t\n\t\t\t\t

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(photos of the present Maracan\u00e3 below)<\/p>\n

How to get to Maracana<\/h3>\n

Maracan\u00e3 is located toward the east of Rio de Janeiro, about 5 kilometres from downtown Rio. It lies about 12 kilometres north of the Copacabana and Ipanema beach areas.<\/p>\n

The stadium can be easily accessed by metro and train. Maracan\u00e3 station is a stop on metro<\/a> line 2, which can be boarded in downtown Rio or the Flamengo and Botafogo areas. It can also be reached with a transfer from line 1, which runs from the Copacabana and Ipanema areas.<\/p>\n

Taking a commuter train<\/a> from the Central do Brasil railway station is an alternative, though makes most of all sense if you are at the station anyway or are coming from the nearby central bus terminal. Otherwise you would get off the metro to get on a train, while the metro can bring you there directly.<\/p>\n

If opting to take a train, take one on the red Ramal Deodoro line, and get off at station Maracan\u00e3.<\/p>\n

Address: Rua Professor Eurico Rabelo, s\/n\u00ba, port\u00e3o 18, Maracan\u00e3, Rio de Janeiro<\/p>\n