Stadium - Maracana Rio de Janeiro
The Estádio do Maracanã officially Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is, as the Maracana 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, and in the final game Brazil was beaten 2-1 by Uruguay. Since then, it has mainly been used for football matches between the major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro, includingBotafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama. It has also hosted a number of concerts and other sporting events. Although the paid 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 82,238 spectators. It was the main venue of the 2007 Pan American Games, hosting the football tournament and the opening and closing ceremonies.
Over time, however, the stadium also has become a multi-character space to receive other events such as shows and games from other sports, such as volleyball. After several works of modernization, the current capacity of the stadium is 82,238 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Brazil and South America.
The Maracanã is currently closed for renovations and upgrades, and will reach a total capacity of around 85,000 spectators in preparations for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 Summer Olympics, and the 2016 Summer Paralympics. The stadium's reopening is forecasted for early 2013.
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