Published on October 25, 2012, 4:58 pm

Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, stage of 2014 World Cup

The most famous football stadium in the world will play a major role in the 2014 World Cup. The Maracanãwill host seven of the tournament’s matches, including the final on the 13th of July. Together with Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro will be the host city that will stage the biggest number of matches. With refurbishment works due to be finished by February 2013, the Maracanã will stage the final of the Confederations Cup.

The mystic stadium is being modernised in order to play host to the world’s best teams once more. From the traditional structure, only the façade will remain, as it is inscribed in the list of cultural heritage by the National Artistic and Historical Heritage Institute. The new Maracanã will have 76 thousand seats, all covered by the rooftop and 14 thousand parking spaces, in addition to improvement works that are being done the access ways, toilet facilities and snack bars. The stadium will be the second stadium in history to host two finals. The first was the Azteca in Mexico, stage of the 1970 and 1986 finals.

Furthermore, the construction of a leisure area with cycle lanes and squares is planned. There will be promenades for pedestrians to cross the roadway and railway, connecting the Maracanã with a public park integrated to the Quinta da Boa Vista. After the World Cup, the stadium will once again take up its traditional main stage role it has always had as the venue where the city’s derbies are played between the four major teams: Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama.

Urban mobility

A Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) will be implemented in Rio de Janeiro, alongside roadways with a high volume of buses, connecting the International Tom Jobim Airport to Barra da Tijuca. Called the Transcarioca, the BRT system will run on a stretch 41 km long and will reduce travelling time in almost 60% on its route. The construction works started in March 2011. The system will benefit 400 thousand people a day. The construction works are expected to be finished by November 2013.

Country’s biggest tourist destination

Brazil’s main tourist destination, Rio de Janeiro is synonym of beauty. Blessed by nature, surrounded by mountains, Rio is an icon. The Corcovado, the Sugar Loaf, the statute of Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana and Ipanema are in the hearts of the world, as is bossa nova.

With 6.2 million people, a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.842 and average temperature of 23 degrees Celsius, Rio has 28 thousand rooms to offer through its hotel network, as well as several attractions for visitors. Former capital of the country, Rio wants the big sport events it will host until 2016 to be the path that makes its natural shine become even more intense.

The city grew around Guanabara Bay, discovered by Gaspar de Lemos in the first years of the colonisation period. It was a French and Portuguese colony and in 1808 it became the centre of the Portuguese Empire, weakened by the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. At the time, the city had already been the capital of the colony since 1763 and was the capital of Brazil until 1960, when the Federal District was transferred to Brasilia.

Object of songs and poetry because of its beauty, the city’s coastline is 197 km long, with a hundred islands and Atlantic tropical climate, making it a privileged tourist destination. This scenario and its daily life have inspired composers like Noel Rosa and Ary Barroso, Cartola and Ataulfo Alves, Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes.

Rio de Janeiro City overview

State: Rio de Janeiro
Airport: International Rio de Janeiro Airport/Galeão – Antonio Carlos Jobim and Santos Dumont Airport
Area: 1.182,296 km²
Population: 6.093,472 people
DP: R$ 127.956,075 million
Time Zone: UTC -3

Portal da Copa