Brazil 2014: The Final

Undoubtedly, the most important stadium of the 2014 Brazil World Cup will be the one in which the final game will be played. Four years of preparation and planning will culminate in that last stadium. This year the chosen one is the Estadio do Maracana, in Rio de Janeiro.

This stadium was built for the 1950 World Cup that was to take place in Brazil as well. The full name is Estadio Jornalista Mario Fihno, but it is better known as Maracana. Construction for this stadium began in 1948, with a work force of well over 10,000 laborers, and finishing the entire project within two years. Originally the maximum capacity of the stadium was of 220,000 and by that time it was the biggest stadium in the world. The final of the 1950 World Cup in Brazil also took place in this stadium, in front of an official crowd of 174,000 people, in a match between Uruguay and Brazil. This stadium is not only a magnificent piece of architecture but it is also considered a historic monument in soccer history. Some of the greatest matches have taken place here, with many of the greatest soccer players in history. Over the years, original capacity has been diminished to a much safer but unfortunately low number. After the renovations for the 2014 World Cup, the capacity is of 76,804. It is still a very impressive number, but it falls short to the original 220,000 capacity, which, quite frankly seems very scary number of fans. I sure wish to visit any of these during the tournament, but I know I will not. If any of you will, please comment.

Pictures: 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Maracanã_Stadium_in_Rio_de_Janeiro.jpg

http://www.la-razon.com/marcas/Brasil-empata-Inglaterra-final_0_1844215577.html