Estádio do Maracanã (Brazil)

The Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, commonly called Estádio do Maracanã ("Maracanã Stadium") ("like a rattle" in Tupi-Guarani due to the sound of birds that lived there), is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the Maracanã neighbourhood 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, including Botafogo, 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, the stadium currently seats 82,238 spectators. It was the main venue of the 2007 Pan American Games, hosting the football final, 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 into an opportunity. 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. In 2010 the Maracanã will be closed for renovations and upgrade of total capacity to arround 90. 000 spectators in preparations for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics/Paralympics as it will be the main stadium in both events.