Football at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro 2024-2025

Brazilians are more passionate about football than any other nation. Almost everybody knows how to play football in Brazil, regardless of sex. Some are really skillful. So it's not surprising that Brazil has produced dozens of football legends. Football is played everywhere here—on the streets, beaches, parks, and lanes. But there is a special place for this game in Rio—the Maracanã Stadium. It was built to host the 1950 FIFA World Cup and at that time it was the biggest stadium in the world with a capacity of almost 200,000 people. After that it hosted the FIFA World Cup again in 2014, then it was rebuilt and has been used for domestic cups and matches for four major clubs—Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, and​ Vasco da Gama. The national competitions—Copa do Brasil and Campeonato Brasiliense—usually take place from May to December, so if you are planning to see some of the so-called samba style Brazilian football, it is the perfect time for you to visit Rio.