With the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games in Rio fast approaching, the stadiums in Rio de Janeiro have become the focus of attention in Brazil and indeed the rest of the world. Continue reading to find out which stadiums will be used for which events and to learn a bit about the history behind each of them.

Fifa World Cup 2014 Stadium in Rio de Janeiro

Rio is renowned for its passion for ‘o jogo bonito’ (the beautiful game) as, for the people of this city, it’s not just a game; it’s a key aspect of their culture. For this reason, ‘Fifa World Cup’ will no doubt be the words on everyone’s lips in Rio at the moment. El Estádio do Maracanã (Maracanã Stadium), which was built to serve as the flagship venue for the 1950 World Cup, will be in the limelight once again during the World Cup in 2014, for it will host seven games in total, more than any other stadium. Moreover, the Maracanã Stadium will host the most important of these matches -  the World Cup Final - which is due to be held on the 13th of July.

[caption id="attachment_7941" align="alignnone" width="680"] The Maracanã Stadium is the largest football ground in Brazil / source[/caption]

The Maracanã Stadium, which took almost two years to complete, was officially opened on the 16th June 1950 with a friendly match between a team from Rio de Janeiro and a team from Sao Paulo then, just one week later, it hosted the opening match of the 1950 World Cup between Brazil and Mexico. To improve the venue ahead of the 2014 World Cup, the Maracanã Stadium underwent redevelopments in 2010, in a long project that lasted until 2013, which involved completely rebuilding the lower level of seats, constructing a new ring with improved visibility and installing a new roof. With a capacity of 73,531, the Maracanã Stadium is now the biggest football ground in Brazil.

Brazil World Cup 2014 - Maracanã stadium

 

2016 Olympic Stadiums in Rio de Janeiro

The announcement that Rio de Janeiro would be hosting the 2016 Olympic Games was not only an indicator of the city’s achievements, but the beginning of a long series of challenges for Rio as well. As such a vast number of tourists from across the world will be visiting the city during this period, it’s important that each of the Olympic stadiums are fit for the games, meaning that a number of changes and improvements are in the process of being made. The Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, also known as El Engenhão or simply Estadio Olimpico do Rio (Rio Olympic Stadium), one of the prime venues of the Olympic Games, closed for renovation in March and will reopen in mid-2014. Once work has been completed, the stadium will have an increased capacity of 60,000.

The Rio Olympic Stadium was originally built for the 2007 Pan-American Games that were hosted by Rio de Janeiro, and is currently used predominantly for football matches, being the home field of the football club Botafogo. While the Maracanã Stadium was undergoing redevelopments, the Olympic Stadium was also used by Flamengo and Fluminense, who moved most of their home matches there. In 2016, it will host the athletics competitions at the Olympic and the Paralympic Games.

[caption id="attachment_7942" align="alignnone" width="702"] The Olympic Stadium will host the athletics events at the 2016 Olympics in Rio / source[/caption]

The Olympic Village will be situated in the borough of Tijuca, along with a number of other venues that will host the Olympic Games, including a state-of-the-art new Olympics Aquatics Stadium. Construction for the Aquatics Stadium began this year and is due to be completed in 2015, with the final product being a futuristic design resembling Beijing’s Water Cube. All the swimming and synchronised swimming events will be held here.

[caption id="attachment_814" align="aligncenter" width="540"]Illustration of Rio's Aquatics Stadium where the swimming events will be held during the Olympic Games / source Illustration of Rio's Aquatics Stadium where the swimming events will be held during the 2016 Olympic Games / source[/caption]

The Maracanã Stadium is also going to be used throughout the Olympic Games, for both the men’s and women’s football finals, as well as for and for the opening and closing ceremonies.

For more information on the stadiums in Rio de Janeiro, the FIFA World Cup 2014 and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, head to our website.

By: Camilla Day – English Content Manager