If you have the time, and have any liking for soccer, taking the tour through Maracana Stadium is well worth the effort and nominal fee. I became interested in soccer watching the Ted Lasso series. I have always known about Pele, the soccer star of Brazil. We took a tour with a guide to enlighten us more about this wonderful game of soccer in one of the most iconic stadiums of the sport.
The stadium was built in 1950. In its prime during the 1960’s, the stadium could hold 194,603 spectators. When the famous preacher Billy Graham visited, he spoke to 225,000 people. The stadium has seen crowds of over 100,000 284 times. It was in 1969 where Pele made his 1000th goal in this very stadium.
The tour takes you through the history of players that preformed in this stadium. Uniforms and trophies abound. Pele’s 1000th soccer ball is on the display.
You can walk into the locker room and even the warm-up area inside. Eventually, you get to see the massive stadium. Taking pictures are always allowed.
Due to FIFA World Cup regulations, Maracana lost its upper tier seats. Evacuations had to be within a 7-minute time-frame in case of emergencies. The stadium today holds about 87,000 spectators. Maracana was used for the 2016 opening Olympic ceremonies.
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