Definition of Maracana

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Famous stadiums are bastions of football culture. Old Trafford, the Westfalenstadion, Camp Nou and more. But the most famous of an entire continent has to be the Estadio do Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The stadium was opened in 1950 to host the first World Cup after World War II. Because the tournament was not decided by a final match as it is today, the decisive game would come down to Uruguay versus Brazil in the Maracana. It was filled to the brim with 199,854 spectators as they watched Brazil get beat 2-1 by Uruguay, who won the World Cup with that victory.

The Maracana was the world's largest stadium when inaugurated, having seen 26 occasions where attendance went above 150,000. Since seating and terracing have come into play, the capacity has been reduced to 78,838. Yet it is still the largest in Brazil.

The Maracana is managed by the clubs Flamengo and Fluminense, while being owned by the Rio state government. It has also served as the occasion for opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics, not to mention track and football events at those same series of games. Concerts and other sporting events (like the 1983 volleyball matches between Brazil and Russia).

However much it is used for other events, the Maracana is always going to be known most for the football games played at it. Whether it is the 1950 "final" seen by armies of fans or the 2014 final confirming Germany as world champions, the Maracana will always have a spot on the footballing stage.