Maracanã, the largest stadium of the world
Written by Stades.mythiques , 17.08.2004
The largest, the most legendary, the main stadium of the greatest nation of football. No superlative seems strong enough to qualify Maracanã, the heart of Brazil, the symbol of Flamengo's victories, the greatest stadium of the world.
The history of Maracanã does not stop there, but the fifty following years could pass as a detail. However, the stadium was useful for the great matches (in fact, the majority of the matches) of the three main football clubs of Rio de Janeiro, domiciled in the rest of the time in the suburb: Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas (main home: stadium Caio Martins, in Niteroi, current capacity of 12.000 people), Clube de Regatas Flamengo (main home: stadium José Bastos Padilha, in Gávea, current capacity of 8.000 people), and Fluminense Futebol Clube (main home: stadium of Laranjeiras, current capacity of 8.000 spectators). It was there that the titles of these three teams were disputed. And especially the championship of the State of Rio, prestigious and disputed, often gained by one of these three clubs. By Botafogo (winner for nine times) in 1957, 1961, 1962, 1967 and 1968, then in 1989 after one season without defeat, in 1990 and 1997. By Flamengo (winner for ten times) in 1953, 1954, 1955, 1963, 1965, 1972, 1974, 1978, 1979 (this year, two editions took place, both won by Flamengo), 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004. By Fluminense (winner for fifteen times) in 1951, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1995, 2002. The titles accumulate, and will still accumulate in Maracanã. But to be complete, it would be necessary to mention the cup Guanabara, the championship of Brazil, the cup of Rio, the cup of Brazil, the continental competitions, etc. There are too many competitions, titles, passionants matches, that it would be impossible to name all of them.
But to understand better why Maracanã embodies the Brazilian football, it is also necessary to quote names that have became legends in the lawn, with the shirt of their clubs, or with Brazil’s shirt, playing the majority of the matches at home (and sometimes, with the two shirts): Barbosa, the unhappy guard of the final of 1950, titular for 35 times in the Seleção; Dida, the first striker of Maracanã, 244 official goals in matches for Flamengo in nine seasons (second striker of the club, behind Zico), 420 in his career, three times champion of Rio, n°10 in Flamengo as in the Seleção (before Pelé drawed him aside from his way), champion of the world in 1958. And then Pelé, of course, The King. God for all the Brazilians, but adversary for the clubs of Rio when they met his team of Santos (São Paulo). At March 5, 1961, in Maracanã, he scored the most beautiful goal of the history of the stadium (that a plate affixed by the journalist Mario Filho commemorates still nowadays): face to face to Fluminense, Pelé beats successively six defenders and also the guard, scoring the second goal of Santos (final score: 3-1). And then, in 1969, Pelé scored there the thousandth goal of his career. It is said, as a joke, that this goal had been already ordered a day before the championship, and that even the adversaries were informed about this. This unforgettable moment could only happen in one place in the world, Maracanã, in front of 125.000 people, against Vasco de Gama (one of the clubs from Rio, which have seen the Maracanã opening), and the victory goal scored by penalty face to face to the guard Andrada (final score: 2-1 for Santos).
Let us quote Vavá, striker beside Pelé in the Selection (and player of Vasco de Gama), champion of the world in 1958 and 1962. Nílton Santos, left-back of Botafogo from 1948 to 1964, for all his carrer, won four championships in Rio, and two World cups (1958 and 1962). Zagallo, attacker of Flamengo (1951-1957), then of Botafogo (1958-1965), won five championships in Rio, and he was also twice champion of the world. In the following decade, there is of course Amarildo, striker of Flamengo (1956-1962), then of Botafogo (1962-1963), before joining Italy: he won the championship of Rio in 1961, with the title of the best striker, and in 1962. There was also, a little later, Carlos Alberto, the fast fullback, with his travels between Rio (Fluminense in 1963-1965, Botafogo in 1971-1972, Fluminense again in 1976-1977, Flamengo in 1977) and Santos (1965-1971 and 1972-1976), before following Pelé in a gilded retirement in the United States, he won two championships in Rio (1964 and 1976), and the World of 1970, among others.
In Brazil, there is no lack of talent. Bebeto, attacker of Flamengo from1984 to 1988, then in 1996 after his season in Spain, victorious of the championship in Rio with Flamengo in 1986, the best striker in 1988 (and 1989 with Vasco), victorious of the World cup in 1994. And Romário, four times winner of the championship in Rio, twice with Flamengo, revered in Brazil mainly because of his victory in the World cup of 1994 (at the time he was considered the best player), dissatisfied at the time with his passages in Europe then in Qatar, is still in activity with the shirt of Fluminense, at 38 years, recently striker for the nine-hundredth time in his career in an official match.
