Football: Rio de Janeiro wants to sell the legendary Maracana stadium to pay off its debt

"We need to reduce the most expensive costs, and currently the Maracana stadium costs around €160,000 per match," warned Rodrigo Amorim, president of the Constitution and Justice Committee of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro (ALERJ).

To help pay off its €1.89 billion debt to the Brazilian government, the city of Rio is considering selling the iconic Maracana stadium. Rodrigo Amorim estimates the venue could fetch around €320 million. This sale must now be approved by the plenary session of the Alejr. In 2011, the city of Rio de Janeiro had already attempted to sell its stadium, but the deal ultimately failed.

Maracanaço

The Maracana Stadium is most famous for hosting the 1950 World Cup final between Brazil and Uruguay, a 2-1 defeat for the Seleçao, known to Brazilians as the Maracanaço. According to official figures, 174,000 spectators attended the match. The stadium also hosted seven matches at the 2014 World Cup, including Les Bleus' 1-0 defeat to Germany and the German team's 1-0 victory over Argentina, and numerous events at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Two of the city's clubs currently play their home matches there: Fluminense and Flamengo. The stadium is also scheduled to host the Women's World Cup in 2027.