"Maracana". There is no football fan in the world who does not know this name. The pride of Brazilian football fans and the secret envy of fans around the world. There is hardly a team that would not want to go to the Maracana lawn. And there is hardly a fan who would not like to see his team here.
Maracana is the largest stadium in Brazil and the second in Latin America. Until recently, it was the largest arena in the world. The home stadium of Flamengo, Fluminense and the Brazilian national team. Located in Rio de Janeiro.
Officially, the stadium bears the name of the journalist Mario Filho, an enthusiast for the construction of the superarena, who made a lot of efforts to implement the project. The stadium got its famous nickname from a nearby river.
How the stadium was built
The reason for the construction of "Maracana" was the decision of FIFA to hold the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. Actually, Brazil's application was the only one. Football was already then the second religion of the country, and the government decided to rebuild a giant stadium, designed to amaze the world football community.
The first stone in the foundation of the stadium lay on August 2, 1948. This is the official birthday of Maracanã. Construction was carried out with maximum intensity. The construction was financed from the city treasury, so the new stadium became municipal property. In record time, the arena was ready for operation, but the work was finally completed only in 1965.
The Maracana was an impressive sight. The stadium has the shape of an oval, the roof was attached to the consoles, the field was separated from the stands by a moat filled with water. The dimensions of the "Maracana" along the axes were 317 by 279 m, height - 32 m.
On June 16, 1950, the youth teams of Rio and Sao Paulo met in the opening match. Paulista won 3-1, with Valdir Pereira, the future legendary Didi, the scorer of the first goal.
Debut of "Maracana"
The first tournament for the new arena was the 1950 World Cup. Everyone saw the Brazilian team as the winner in advance, which effortlessly smashed all its rivals. The path to the decisive match of the second finalist, Uruguay, was much more thorny, and tight games with Spain and Sweden only confirmed Brazil as the favourites.
Demand for tickets was booming. The official number of tickets sold was 173,830, but the actual number of fans who attended the match was estimated at over 210,000.
However, the match itself turned out to be a bitter disappointment for the stadium owners. The account was opened by the Brazilians. It seemed that nothing would stop them from finishing off the opponent. However, the Uruguayans evened the score, and 11 minutes before the end of the match, the forward of the guests Higgia hit the corner of the goal of the Brazilians closest to him with a blow from the right edge of the penalty area. The owners did not manage to recoup.
After the final whistle, deathly silence reigned in the stadium. As Higgia later said, only three persons could silence the filled stands of the Maracana - Frank Sinatra, John Paul II and himself. To avoid bloodshed, teams and coaches left the stadium under police protection.
The country is in mourning. The press reported several fans who died in the stands from a heart attack, and dozens of suicides across the country.
It was the heaviest defeat in the history of Brazilian football. The Brazilian Football Association decided to abandon the unfortunate white color of the form, and since then the country's team has been playing in yellow t-shirts with a green stripe and blue shorts. Many participants in that ill-fated game never again put on the uniforms of the national team. And the goalkeeper Barbosa, who conceded the decisive goal, became a real outcast.
Many years later, Barbosa bought the "cursed" gate and burned it himself.
"Marakana" from the first championship to the present day
After the championship, the giants of Rio - Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama began to play here their most important games, international matches of clubs and national team games were held here.
The Maracan has many achievements. In 1963, the Fla-Flu derby was watched by 194,603 spectators - a record for club tournaments. In 1969, 195,513 people officially attended the game between Brazil and Paraguay. The most massive departure was recorded in 1976, when over 70,000 guest fans came to the match between Flu and Corinthians. And on November 19, 1969, the arena saw the thousandth ball of the legendary Pele.
In the 70s, “zheral” was organized for low-income fans - standing places and benches outside the goal. Many public events were held at the Maracan. Here the Brazilians were blessed by John Paul II, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner sang.
In 1992, tragedy struck. Part of the fence of the upper tier collapsed, three fans died. The survey showed the deterioration of concrete structures. There was talk of dismantling the arena, but in 1998 the Maracana was declared one of the official symbols of Brazil. This made the stadium inviolable.
In 2000, the reconstruction of the stadium began. The number of seats decreased to 103.022, and the Maracana lost its status as the largest arena in the world. In 2005-2006 the stadium was brought into line with FIFA criteria. All places were numbered, and the "zheral" was eliminated. The capacity of the stands was reduced to 82.238 seats, the moat was removed, the field was raised and brought closer to the stands.
"Maracana" today
After the next reconstruction, the appearance of the stadium has changed a lot, only the facade has escaped the restructuring. The stands are 13 meters from the field (previously 30 meters) and can accommodate 78,838 spectators. Under the new roof is 95% of the stands. 17 elevators have been installed, and now all fans can leave the stadium in 12 minutes.
The field is illuminated by 396 spotlights, four screens are installed. There are special places for obese people. 68 VIP boxes are organized, there are restaurants and bars.
In front of the stadium, a monument was erected to Bellini, the captain of the Brazilians at the victorious 1958 World Cup and the 1962 World Cup. Busts of Mario Filho, Mario Zagalo, Garrinchi, Zico are installed on the territory of "Maracana". On the Walk of Fame, many famous players left footprints and handprints. Since 2006, the Football Museum has been operating here, visiting it is free.
And now Maracana hosts various public events, and in 2016 it will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games.
The stadium has never been closed to visitors, even during renovations. You can get to the football shrine from any part of Rio. Not far from the stadium are the railway station and metro station of the same name. Many buses go here, the stop is called Avenida Professor Manoel de Abreu.
Maracana (port. Estádio do Maracanã) is not just the largest on the continent and one of the most famous sports arenas in the world, it is the real heart of all Brazilian football. All the most important football events in the country take place here. Therefore, the stadium is rightfully considered one of the main attractions of the "city of happy dreams" Rio.
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According to statistics, every fifth football fan, answering the question about the most spacious stadium in the world, names Maracana. In fact, they are wrong, although in the past this was indeed the case. The exact figure is unknown, but according to some reports, 180 thousand spectators came here to cheer for their favorite team. This allowed Marakana to get into the Guinness Book of Records for this indicator. However, theorists are skeptical about this figure, arguing that more than 155 thousand people could not fit in this arena. Even despite the fact that the famous sector (port. “Geral”) used to be here - standing places outside the goal for low-income fans.
One thing is known: today stadium capacity is 78,838 people. It is the home arena for local football clubs, principal rivals Flamengo and Fluminense. During the derby between these teams, which the locals like to call "Fla Flu", the Maracana turns into a "hell's mouth", tens of thousands of fans chant various chants, beat drums and rattle maracas, driving their team forward.
World Championship 2014
In connection with the rules of FIFA on the rotation of the continents hosting the main football tournament, the 2014 Mundial was supposed to go to South America.
Because all countries, except, refused to claim to host the championship, and the Colombian bid was very weak due to the lack of infrastructure and stadiums - Brazil once again became the host of the upcoming World Cup without an alternative and began preparing to receive guests.
Maracana naturally became the main arena of the tournament. And although out of 48 matches, only 5 were held here - the final was held here.
By the way, the hosts of the tournament could not reach the finals, having lost with a bang in the semi-finals of the German national team with a score of 1:7. To justify Brazil, we can say that the Germans have become the champions this year.
How to get there
Maracana is located in the eastern part of Rio de Janeiro, 5 km. east of the central zone and 12 km. north of the beaches and .
The most convenient way to get here is by metro.
Scheme of Maracana
- In order to get to the western side of the arena (the entrance to sectors A, B, C), you need to get to the metro station " Maracana» on line 2.
- To the east side (entrance to sectors D, E, F) - to the metro station " São Cristóvao» on line 1.
Tickets for Maracana
Tickets can be purchased at the box office at the stadium, as well as online via the Internet. It must be borne in mind that, when buying an electronic ticket, it still needs to be printed out at one of the stadium ticket offices. To do this, you need to have an identity card and a photo of the QR code of the purchased ticket with you.
- Tickets for Flamengo matches can also be bought at the club kiosk on Avenida Borges de Medeiros 997 in the Ipanema area.
- Tickets for Fluminense matches can also be bought at the club kiosk on Rua Álvaro Chaves 41.
Ticket prices need to be confirmed.
Tours
Every day from 9.00 to 17.00 the doors of the stadium are open for anyone who wants to take a tour of this temple of Brazilian football.
There is an alley of fame with footprints of legendary Brazilian football players such as Pelé, Zico, Roberto Rivelino, Roberto Dynamite, Jairzinho, Ideraldo Bellini, Mario Zagallo, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, etc., as well as a museum football, opened in 2006, where
you can get acquainted with the history of the stadium and the achievements of Brazilian football players. You can also see many interesting exhibits in the museum: busts, photographs and personal belongings of famous football players.
During the tour, you will be offered to visit the football players' locker room, and then go out through the under-tribune corridor to the football field, just as football players did and still do during matches.
Tour prices:
| Mon-Thu | Fri-Sun | ||
| Full | VIP** | R$72.00 | R$76.00 |
| Premium*** | R$ 56.00 | R$60.00 | |
| Base | R$ 36.00 | R$40.00 | |
| With discount * | VIP** | R$ 36.00 | R$ 38.00 |
| Premium*** | R$ 28.00 | R$ 30.00 | |
| Base | R$ 18.00 | R$ 20.00 | |
|
Pricesas of January 2017 |
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IMPORTANT A: Payment is accepted by cash and credit cards. Children, students, pensioners and the disabled must have an original supporting document with a notarized translation in Portuguese in order to receive a discount.
History of the Maracana Stadium
"Maracana" - the official name of Estádio Mario Filho, was built to be the central venue for the 1950 World Cup. As conceived by the architects, the arena was to become the largest football stadium in the world.
In 1950, Brazil becomes the host country of the football championship. For this grand event, the government of a poor South American country made a fateful decision - to build a huge stadium, which in the end was destined to become not only the largest in the world in size, but also the most spacious.
For a long time, the total capacity of the Maracana was considered equal to 200 thousand people. Although in fact, the exact capacity of the stadium is still not known. Even in Brazil itself, it is believed that the giant could accommodate more than two hundred thousand. The Guinness Book of Records recorded a mark of 180 thousand, but other sources lower the bar to 155,000 fans.
August 2, 1948 - this day becomes the beginning of the history of the stadium, the date when the first stone was laid in the foundation of the future giant. The name of the stadium comes from the residential area of the same name. The quarter itself got its name because of the river, on the site of which it was built at one time, and the river was named after a large parrot.
The current official name - Mario Filho, was assigned to the stadium in the early 60s of the last century. This is how the Brazilians paid tribute to the then mayor of Rio de Janeiro, thanks in large part to which the football Mecca was built.
"Maracana" had an oval shape, the roof of the building was attached with large consoles, and the football field was separated from the stands by a real moat with water. The entrance to the stadium is decorated with a bronze statue of a football player, which was cast in honor of the triumph of the Brazilian national team at the World Cup in 1958. On the podium proudly placed the names of the then national team players, who remain true legends of world football to this day.
Everything is sacred on the Maracanã: the couch, on which Garrinchi stretched his muscles, and the stupas, where the legendary Pele himself once changed, and the hot tub of the unsurpassed Zico, there is also a sign made in honor of the thousandth goal. The walls of the stadium are decorated with photographs of football players who brought fame to Brazil: Pele, Junior, Zico, Romario, Garrinchi, Rivelino and Ronaldo.
"Marakana" is an immortal historical building, in every sense. Officially, the stadium has been a historical monument since 1998. Just for this reason, it could not be seriously modified. All work related to the modernization was carried out only for the reason of increasing the comfort and safety of the fans.
The concrete structure of the stadium, due to the huge number of visitors, needed a serious reconstruction, which took place in 2000, when the Maracana turned 50 years old. Upon its completion, the capacity of the arena was reduced to 103,045 people.
At the newly rebuilt stadium, in accordance with the FIFA requirements for the presence of only numbered seats, the famous “geral” sector was eliminated - these are the places behind the gates and benches, which accommodated only poor spectators. A ticket to the "geral" sector cost a symbolic price - only one dollar, which allowed almost every fan to attend the game of their favorite team. The geral was considered by many to be the most democratic sector of the stadium and an integral part of Brazil's football culture.
When Brazil became the hosts of the 2014 World Cup in 2007, there was no doubt that the Maracana, which should host the final, required a massive redevelopment. The stadium is scheduled to host a total of seven matches during the 2014 World Cup.
Construction work on the reconstruction began in 2010 and ended three years later. June 2, 2013 became a new starting point in the history of the legendary "Maracana" as the opening date of the reconstructed stadium. Symbolically on this day, the national team of Brazil played a friendly match against England, which ended peacefully - 2:2.
Little is left of the good old Maracana, no more than 15 percent, but it should be noted about the new one - a wonderful stadium, comfortable, modern, safe and beautiful.
Brazil has the largest and most beautiful stadium in all of South America. Until recently, the Maracanã stadium was considered the largest on the planet.
Photo: http://s00.yaplakal.com/pics/pics_original/5/4/3/1863345.jpg
Maracana Stadium history
It has been leading its history since 1948. It was then that the construction of a grandiose sports facility began, which was supposed to host the official matches of the 1950 World Cup. It was the second World Cup after the terrible World War II. Brazil was the only country that expressed a desire and proved its readiness to host the championship. So the issue of the construction of the Maracana stadium was resolved. The official opening of the stadium took place in 1950, with a match between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, in which the famous Didi scored the first goal.
Its official name - "Mario Filho" - the stadium "Maracana" received in honor of the Brazilian journalist, thanks to whom the project came to life.
The first significant international matches were held at the Maracana Stadium during the fourth FIFA World Cup. The highlight of that championship was the defeat of the Brazilian national team from longtime rivals - the national team of Uruguay. That match was watched by a record number of spectators - 199,850. Like Hampden Park in Glasgow, Maracana set several attendance records, some of which have not been broken so far.
In 1963, the match of the national championship (Flamengo - Fluminense) gathered 177,656 fans in the stands of the Maracana - a record attendance for club tournaments. International meetings gathered here up to 180,000 spectators, and in the 1980s, the average attendance of national championship matches was 130,000. Almost 40 years later, in January 2000, the strongest clubs in the world again performed at the Maracana stadium, where the final of the club championship was held world, a new tournament established by FIFA. The 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Brazil, will bring new teams and new spectators to the Maracana.
Photo: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CC%E0%F0%E0%EA%E0%ED%E0
Features of the design of the stadium "Maracana"
The Maracanã stadium has an oval shape. The visor of its roof is fixed on consoles, and the field is separated from the stands by a moat with water. Next to the main arena is the Maracanacinho, an indoor sports hall where boxing competitions, tennis matches, as well as various festivals and concerts take place.
Maracana Stadium today
Previously, Maracanã was the world's largest stadium and could hold up to 200,000 spectators, but due to FIFA's requirements for only numbered seats in the stadium, the so-called "geral" was abolished - standing places outside the gates and benches where the poorest fans were accommodated . Tickets for these places cost symbolic money, which allowed almost everyone to come to the match. After the reconstruction, the Maracana stadium lost its status as the largest stadium in South America and is not even included in the top 50 largest stadiums in the world. Now the capacity of "Maracana" is 78 thousand 838 spectators, however, during the 2014 World Cup, the number of seats in the main arena of the 2014 World Cup will be reduced to 73,531 at the request of FIFA. A roof was also added to the stadium. In 2016, the Maracana will host the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games.
Nowadays, the Maracana stadium is the home arena of the Flamengo and Fluminense clubs, as well as the Brazilian national team of all ages, but the other two giants of the state football, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama, despite having their own 40,000-strong stadiums, as a rule, they hold "Superclassico" with other teams of the state on the "Maracana". The final matches of the Carioca League championship are also held here every year.
The Maracanã stadium belongs to Brazil. The unique place is equipped with the latest technology; all football teams in the world dream of playing there. What is so special about this stadium?
History of the Maracanã Stadium
Until recently, Maracana was the largest football arena in the world. In Brazil, the stadium is still the largest in the country. On this base, on a permanent basis, the following teams train:
- Flamengo;
- "Fluminense".
The stadium located in Rio has the official name "Mario Filho". This is the name of a journalist and a passionate fan, without whom the stadium would not have been born. Maracana is the name of the river nearby the building. Among the people, this name was attached to the stadium faster than the official version.
In 1950, FIFA decided that the next World Cup would be held in Brazil. For a worthy organization of the event, a new sports arena had to be built. The final arrangement of all areas and infrastructures of Maracana ended in 1965.
The stadium is 317 by 279 meters along the axes, the height of its structures is 32 meters.
The field of Maracana is separated from the stands by a moat. The stadium is endowed with an oval shape, as well as an unusual history of its own development. For example, for Maracana it all started with the fact that the first match there was played by the teams of Rio and Sao Paulo. The second team won with a score of 3:1. The famous football player Didi scored the first goal at the grandiose stadium.
Events and situations in the stadium
In 1950, the opening of the World Cup was announced on Maracana. The Brazilian national team began to smash rivals very famously and cool. So the Brazilians defeated the Spaniards and the Swedes. The excitement associated with tickets for these games was fantastic.
According to official data, 173,000 tickets for the championship were sold, according to an unofficial version, 210,000 fans visited the stadium.
A good start to the world games ended badly for Brazil. When the Brazilian national team met with Uruguay, they started to win from the first minutes, but then they seemed to have been cursed. The Brazilians were unlucky and lost the most important match in their history.
The game ended under the deathly silence of the stands. Team members were escorted out of the stadium under police cover. Several people died of heart attacks right in the stands. After the defeat, Brazil declared official mourning. A wave of suicides even swept across the country, which was expected, since Brazil is considered one of the most football countries on the planet.
Goalkeeper Barbosa, who missed the decisive goal in the Brazilian goal, became an outcast. A few years later, a heartbroken athlete found the gate from that ill-fated match, bought it and burned it..
After that ill-fated game, the country's football association changed its players' uniforms from white to green and yellow. Many believed that Maracanã is a cursed stadium, since one day part of the roof collapsed on the fans there.
Maracana today
After the collapse, the stadium was reconstructed until 2000. Over the long period of existence, many events took place on Maracana, and a huge number of events were held. For example, John Paul II blessed the Brazilians from this arena, and Sinatra and McCartney also performed there.
In 2006, the stadium underwent another reconstruction. They removed the moat between the stands and the field, reduced the number of seats around the arena to 82,000. All seats have been numbered.
Thanks to new safety requirements, several high-speed elevators have been installed on Marakana so that in case of danger, people can leave this place in 12 minutes.
In addition, 396 floodlights and 4 huge screens were installed near the field. Changes have benefited the arena. So in 2016, it was here that the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic competitions took place. All transport stops near Maracana have the same name with the stadium.