Maracanã Stadium

Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho (Maracanã)

The temple of football, host of the 1950 and 2014 World Cup finals and the 2016 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. Catch a Flamengo home match to feel Brazilians' passion.

Maracanã Stadium was built for the 1950 World Cup. In the final that year, Brazil lost to Uruguay in the so-called Maracanazo, a tragedy witnessed in person by nearly 200,000 people, which remains a legend in football history. The 2014 World Cup final (Germany 1–0 Argentina) and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Rio Olympics were also held here. Today the stadium holds 78,838 spectators and serves as the home ground of Flamengo and Fluminense, two Rio football giants. There are two ways to experience it. The first is a guided tour (Tour Maracanã, about BRL 80–100, 09:00–17:00 on non-match days), which covers the changing rooms, the player tunnel, the stands and the museum area, where you can see the footprint wall of Pelé, Garrincha and other stars, and a replica of the 1950 trophy. The second is to watch a match. Brazil's top-tier league runs from April to December, and Flamengo home games have the most fervent atmosphere, with red-and-black fans singing throughout, fireworks and huge banners. Tickets cost BRL 80–300 and can be bought from the club's official website or through authorized agents. On match days, the crowds around the stadium are massive, so take the metro (Maracanã station, Line 2) rather than walking, avoid wearing the opposing team's colors, and follow the crowd when leaving after the match. The Quinta da Boa Vista park and the National Museum next to the stadium, which has been under reconstruction since a 2018 fire and partly reopened in 2026, make good stops on the way. A non-match-day visit takes about 1.5 hours. On match days, arrive at least 1.5 hours early and bring a little cash for grilled skewers and beer.

Maracanã Stadium

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