As excitement mounts daily in the build-up to the 2014 World Cup – don’t try and deny it, you know it’s mounting daily – today we look at Brazil’s famous Maracana stadium.
Built as the flagship venue for the 1950 World Cup (which Brazil won, Pele enjoyed himself), Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana Stadium has undergone a huge redevelopment in preparation for being the host venue for the World Cup Final.
With a capacity of 78,000 bums on the new blue and yellow seats (which with the green of the pitch represent the colours of the Brazilian flag), the Maracana is Brazil’s biggest football stadium. The new stadium will also be used for the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games.
Interestingly, the name Maracana is actually a nickname. The stadium’s official title is Estadio Journalista Mario Filho, but Maracana has stuck, being the more colourful local dialect name for the blue-winged macaw. Did you know that? Us neither.
If you want to read about Brazil’s security plans for policing the World Cup, E&T has got you covered with our feature From Hillsborough to Rio de Janeiro.
Click on the graphic for an expanded view.
Engineering & Technology magazine 
The Maracana stadium is iconic in Brazil’s history and this year too it will register its name in the history books. It is one of most iconic football stadium in the world.