Attraction
Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor)
The Art Deco statue of Christ on the summit of Corcovado, dedicated in 1931 and reached by a rack railway that has run since 1884.
Maracanã Stadium
Brazil's most famous football stadium, opened for the 1950 World Cup, host of the 2014 final and home ground of Flamengo and Fluminense.
At a glance
- Type
- Football stadium and tour
- Area
- Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Official site
- tourmaracana.com.br
Good to know
- Stadium tour
- Hall of Fame
- Walk of Fame footprints
- Box office at Gate A
Why we recommend it
The Maracanã, officially the Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is the most famous football ground in Brazil. Work began on 2 August 1948 for the World Cup that Brazil hosted in 1950, and the stadium opened that June; the works were only fully completed in 1965. It belongs to the state of Rio de Janeiro, holds 73,139 spectators today and is the home ground of Flamengo and Fluminense, while also hosting big derbies and some Brazil national team matches.
Its history is full of landmark occasions. The 1950 final, in which Uruguay beat Brazil 2-1, drew an official crowd of almost 200,000. After a reconstruction the stadium reopened in 2013 and hosted the 2014 World Cup final on 13 July 2014, when Germany beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time. Two years later it staged the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It has also been a concert venue: Frank Sinatra played here in January 1980, Tina Turner drew around 200,000 people in January 1988 and Paul McCartney about 184,000 paying fans in April 1990.
A Walk of Fame near the special seats entrance, opened in 2000 for the stadium's fiftieth anniversary, preserves the footprints of players including Pelé, Zico and Eusébio in cement.
The stadium tour is the way to see behind the scenes. According to a July 2026 report in Diário do Rio, the tour starts in an auditorium and continues through the dressing rooms to the outdoor areas, including the substitutes' bench, the stands and the pitch, then passes the mixed zone and the press room before ending in the historical collection, where a Hall of Fame keeps the footprints of legends. The same report says tours run daily, that the box office and visitor access are at Gate A on Avenida Rei Pelé, and that on match days the tour closes five hours before the gates open, so check the fixture list before you go. Tickets and current details are on the official tour website.
The tour suits families and football fans of any age. Seeing a match is the other way to experience the ground, with Flamengo and Fluminense both playing their home games here.
The stadium was designed by a team of Brazilian architects that included Miguel Feldman, Waldir Ramos and Raphael Galvão, and it sits in the Maracanã district of the North Zone, which was originally part of Tijuca.
Maracanã Stadium FAQs
Can you tour the Maracanã?
Yes. The tour visits the dressing rooms, the pitch-side areas, the press room and the historical collection.
Where does the tour start?
Visitor access and the box office are at Gate A on Avenida Rei Pelé.
Does the tour run on match days?
According to Diário do Rio, it closes five hours before the gates open on match days.
How many people does the stadium hold?
Its current capacity is 73,139.
Which teams play there?
Flamengo and Fluminense use it as their home ground.
Which major events has it hosted?
The 1950 and 2014 World Cup finals and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies.
What is the Walk of Fame?
A walkway opened in 2000 with the cement footprints of players including Pelé, Zico and Eusébio.
Where can you buy tour tickets?
On the official tour website or at the box office at Gate A.