Maracanã Stadium, Maracanã,, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
Maracanã, officially called Estádio Mário Filho, was built to serve as the flagship venue for the 1950 World Cup. It was meant to become the biggest football stadium in the world.
Construction began in August 1948 and was completed almost two years later. Maracanã officially opened on 16 June 1950 with a friendly between a selection of players from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
Eight days later, Maracanã hosted the opening match of the 1950 World Cup between Brazil and Mexico (4-0). It would go on to host four more matches in the first round group stage and a further three in the second round stage, among which the deciding final match between Uruguay and Brazil (2-1).
The official attendance of the final was about 173,000 paying spectators, but it is estimated that more than 200,000 witnessed the game live from the stands.
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