For sale the iconic stadium «Maracana»! His State Rio de Janeiro hopes to raise around 320 million euros to reduce its massive public debt, sparking intense political and social controversy in Brazil.
The Rio government has decided to sell the historic stadium – a symbol of Brazilian identity – where the two big clubs, Flamengo and Fluminense, play their matches.
The Constitution and Justice Committee of the Rio Legislative Assembly (ALERJ) amended the government bill, removing 16 of the 48 properties earmarked for sale and adding 30 new ones, among them the “Maracana”, the “temple” of Brazilian and world football. The news caused immediate outrage in the country’s public.
The president of the committee, Rodrigo Amorim, explained that the State needs to reduce the maintenance costs of its properties, saying that “the government spends about 160,000 euros per match to maintain the Maracana”.
He also estimated that the sale of the stadium and the neighboring complex “Aldeia Maracanã” could fetch more than €320 million, depending on market offers. He emphasized, however, that the main objective is not only revenue, but also the avoidance of future costs due to the abandonment of facilities and their utilization in a more productive way. The plan will be put to a vote in the coming weeks.
Rio State owes the federal government 1.89 billion euros, which must be repaid in 2026 as part of a debt restructuring program.
This legendary stage goes on sale
@Carpio_Marca pic.twitter.com/DT95uwESzD
— BRAND (@marca) October 27, 2025
It is not the first time that the question of ownership of “Maracana” has been raised. In 2011, tycoon Ike Batista tried to buy it, ahead of the 2014 World Cup final and the 2016 Olympics. Although the proposal did not go ahead, the debate over whether it should go into private hands has continued for years, dividing public opinion.
The stadium is world famous for the historic “Maracanaso”, Brazil’s surprise defeat by Uruguay (1-2) in the World Cup final on July 16, 1950, in the presence of 173,850 spectators, while other sources put the figure at 199,854, the largest crowd ever recorded for a football match.
Today, the Maracana has a capacity of 78,838 spectators, after three extensive renovations: In 1999/2000, when the standing seats were removed (103,000 seats), in 2005-2007 (88,000 seats) and in 2010-2013, ahead of the 2014 World Cup, which shaped it into its current form.