Marcanã Stadium. Photo by Freyja Ellis.

In Brazil, soccer is king and Maracanã stadium is its palace. Every Sunday for more than 50 years, Brazilian fans have known glory and tragedy in one of the biggest stadiums in the world. Built in the center of Rio de Janeiro, the stadium is the home of three of the most popular local teams (Flamengo,  Fluminense and Botafogo) and a mandatory stop for all soccer fans.

The stadium hosts an average of 76 games a year, so there is a good possibility that visitors will be able to catch a game and experience the energy of a Brazilian soccer game. The music inside the stadium and the passion of the fans make it a spectacle unlike any other found in the sports world.

The Maracanã (its official name is Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, but people call it Maracanã because it is located in the neighbourhood of the same name) is accessible by subway. Tickets to the games start at $10, but visitors are encouraged to buy $30 seats to enjoy a good seat and avoid congestion.

Soccer fans can admire the almost circular framework of the stadium, a rarity among soccer fields. Originally designed to hold 200,000 fans, this legendary field was renovated in the nineties and its capacity fell to 103.000, still enough to intimidate visitor teams when the stadium is at full capacity.

Just like the Sambadrome, the Maracanã was built to host the biggest party of its type. In 1950 the stadium was inaugurated just one week before the kickoff of the World Cup. It was to be the first tournament since World War II, and the Brazilians organized everything, hoping to become champions in their own land. Their national team was outstanding that year and they reached the final without trouble.

On the other side of the field they encountered the Uruguayans, a scrappy team that had reached the final with a combination of heart and luck. The first half was scoreless, but just four minutes into the second half, Brazil scored and the party began, the newspapers started to sell hundreds of copies with a big headline that said Brasil Campeão (Champion Brazil). The Uruguayan captain took the ball out of his own goal, put it under his arm and slowly walked to the center of the field, waiting for the roaring cheers of approximately 220,000 fans in the stadium to subside. From that point on, Brazil played their best soccer, but Uruguay scored.

Even with a tie, Brazil was still the champion, thanks to a better goal average. Suddenly, just before the end of the game, the impossible happened. Uruguayan forward Alcides Ghiggia defeated the Brazilian goalkeeper with a shot that instantly transformed the party in the stands into a funeral. Even though Brazil tried again and again, they couldn’t score, and the final score was 2-1. The cup went to the Uruguayans, who, for several minutes after the game ended, were the only voices heard in the stadium. After the game, cases of heart attacks and suicides were reported all over Brazil.

The incident, known ever since as the Maracanazo, gave the stadium a legendary status only a month after its inauguration. That reputation has only grown, as some of the best players in history have played in the stadium. Visitors can see where Pelé, arguably the best player in the history of soccer, scored his 1,000th goal, or where he scored his “Gol de Placa”, a goal so beautiful that the spectators in the stadium (from both teams) collected money to give him a commemoratory plaque.  For a soccer fan, there are few places than are as rich in legends and history as the Maracanã, so if you are in Rio, don’t forget to visit the king at its palace and pay your respects.