The stage for countless episodes in the history of Brazilian football and home to two World Cups, the Mário Filho stadium, the Maracanã, turns 71 this Wednesday.
On June 16, 1950, Maracanã was inaugurated. At the time, it was the largest stadium in the world, with a capacity of 200,000 spectators, around 10% of the population of Rio de Janeiro at the time, according to a census. In addition to being one of the temples of national sport, the place is now also a tourist attraction in the capital of Rio de Janeiro.
Temple of Brazilian Football
The history of Maracanã begins well before 1950. After visits by the then president of FIFA, Jules Rimet, Brazil was chosen in 1946 to host the 1949 World Cup, but in 1947, the governing body of football chose to postpone the competition in a year so that the teams, especially from Europe, could restructure after World War II.
The work took about two years to complete and it is estimated that the cost was 250 million dollars.
One day after the official opening, the stadium has already hosted its first match. A team from the state of São Paulo faced a team from Rio. São Paulo won 3-1. A week later, Brazil and Mexico made the debut of that year’s Worlds. The team thrashed the Mexicans by 4-0.
Over the seven decades, Maracanã underwent numerous reforms to become what it is today. The last one was to host a second World Cup – that of 2014. Now with capacity for almost 80 thousand people, the stadium is modern and meets the “Fifa standard”. The most recent restructuring is worth over R$1 billion.
In addition to the two World Cups, the ‘Maraca’ hosted a series of iconic matches, such as the 1963 and 2000 Club World Cups, and Brazil’s achievements in the 1989 and 2019 Americas Cups. The field was also the stage for the Pan American Games in 2007 and the 2016 Olympics.
In 2020, Maracanã went through important moments. First, it housed a coronavirus field hospital. At the end of the year, it hosted the final of the Copa Libertadores da América, with the victory of Palmeiras over Santos.
Tours
From 9/15/2021 onwards, proof of vaccination will be required for covid + document with photo for persons over 18 years of age.
There will be a temperature measurement at the access to the Tour area. People with a temperature above 37.8 C will be reimbursed for the amount paid and advised to seek a hospital for medical evaluation.
Mandatory use of masks according to local legislation. Access will only be allowed for visitors who wear protective masks correctly placed over the nose and mouth. Decree
River No. 48974 of 06/10/21.
Children over 3 years old must wear masks.
The Tour Maracanã and Inova have adopted all the measures suggested by the competent authorities in combating and preventing covid19, but even so there is still a potential risk related to the pandemic that still has worldwide relevance. The visitor recognizes this inherent risk and exempts the Maracanã Tour from any responsibility in this regard, since all possible measures are being observed.
3-4 hours
Daily
Private Tour
Eng-Spa-Por
THIS EXPERIENCE INCLUDES
Tickets
Credential guide in English, Spanish or Portugues
Private transfer to and from your hotel
Covid-19 biosafety protocol
