in 1969, in the early days of the stadium when regulations were more relaxed, the maracană received the largest audience in history for attendance of a football game, squeezing in an incredible 200,000 spectators to the stadium, for brazil verses paraguay.

since then, the stadium has undergone a number of renovations, to fit into updated regulations, and to increase the comfort of the fans - the most recent took place in 2007, in preparation for the 2014 world cup, with the capacity now standing at 78,840 - the stadium plays a leading role in any tournament in rio, always hosting the most important matches.

one of the focuses of the new redevelopment has been increasing the enjoyment for the fans, and has seen it transformed into one of the safest and most modern stadiums in the world, featuring closer proximity to the pitch, and comfortable retractable seats.