Central Córdoba Stun Flamengo at the Maracanã in Historic Libertadores UpsetCentral Córdoba made history on April 9, 2025, by pulling off one of the biggest shocks in recent Copa Libertadores memory. In just their second appearance in the tournament, the club from Santiago del Estero defeated Flamengo 2-1 at the iconic Maracanã Stadium, securing their first-ever international victory. Led by head coach Omar De Felippe, the Argentine side executed a flawless game plan. Leonardo Heredia opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 24th minute, before José Ignacio Florentín doubled the lead with a powerful header in the 44th. Flamengo, stacked with star talent and expectations, pulled one back through a stunning free kick by Nico De la Cruz in the 60th minute, but couldn't break down Central Córdoba’s solid defensive wall. With this unexpected victory, Central Córdoba rise to the top of Group C with 4 points, ahead of Flamengo (3), while LDU Quito (1) and Deportivo Táchira (0) are yet to play their second matches. The result is more than just three points—it’s a massive statement by a club with little international pedigree, conquering one of South America's most storied teams in their own backyard. Flamengo dominated possession in the second half, pushing forward with intensity and making attacking substitutions, but Central Córdoba remained disciplined and defiant. Goalkeeper Guido Aguerre was instrumental with several key saves, while the team's tactical shape and commitment were the keys to sealing the upset. Romilly Norfolk recounts her experience of a Brazilian football match at the famous Maracanã stadium Brazil is well known for its footballing prowess. Ronaldinho, Pele, Neymar, Marta, to name just a few of the footballing legends to come out of the country. But what is football in Brazil actually like? Well I had the opportunity to go to the world famous Maracanã Stadium and watch a game. The Maracanã has hosted two World Cups and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympic Games. On Wednesday night it was host to the quarter final of the Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious competition in South American club football, the Champions League of the continent if you will. “I walked past usual football sites, fans drinking outside the stadium, police horses… armoured vehicles, military police holding guns” Home side Fluminense played Atlético-MG in a midweek, evening game. The kickoff time was 7pm, unforgiving for both the home and away supporters, who had to battle with Rio’s rush hour traffic, busy metro and the fact they most likely work, to make it to the game. Turning up early, I walked past usual football sites, fans drinking outside the stadium, police horses (granted shorter than British ones), armoured vehicles, military police holding guns. All the usual things you would find outside a football ground, well I guess in Brazil it is. To my more sheltered British football experience, it put me a little on edge, but I made it into the stadium safe and sound. Once in the stadium there was some wandering to find our section and after some asking it turned out we were in the ‘sit wherever you want’ area. We chose the safe road of sitting exactly where our tickets said anyway and made camp. On our way to our seats we were handed a balloon to blow up, a novelty for a British football fan where flags (quite rightly) are scorned at. Waiting for kickoff and watching the stadium slowly fill, added to the growing excitement around me. Only the occasional loud bang of a flare outside the stadium took away from taking in the atmosphere. The Brazilians know how to support football. About 20 minutes before kickoff the real chanting started, I can’t tell you what any of the words were, unfortunately my Portuguese doesn’t stretch much further beyond “white wine please”, but I made sure to join in as best as I could. The balloons were waived in unison as songs rang around the stadium, led by a drum pounding a beat behind the goal. When the away fans tried to reciprocate, they were met with thousands of boos in return. Once the players walked out onto the pitch, this atmosphere only grew. Flares went off in the home end and created a mirage of flashing lights, whilst balloons were waved wildly around the ground. The players swapped sides after the coin toss and got into position for kickoff. As soon as that whistle blew, I had the fright of my life as thousands of popping sounds occurred. Unbeknownst to me, once kickoff began, all 50,000 or so people in that stadium then pop their lovingly blown up balloons. Once over the excitement of that surprising event, I could focus on the football. “I’ve seen my college football team make better touches than what I witnessed from these Fluminense players” Only one word can describe the football I had to watch on that Wednesday night, and that is ‘shit’. I have seen a wide range of football in my time, my own club having climbed from League 1 in only the last decade or so. But this was some of the worst football I’ve ever watched. All preconceptions of how amazing football in Brazil would be were dashed quickly. I’ve seen my college football team make better touches than what I witnessed from these Fluminense players. When they did manage to keep it at their feet, it didn’t last long at all and god forbid they make a successful pass between them. When they did manage to get the ball up the pitch for an attack, they were normally without support and I had to witness someone cross a ball into an empty box. We weren’t the only ones disappointed with the football in front of us, with exasperated sighs and yells at the team constant from the stands throughout the game. This performance was not one they were expecting from the very team who had won the cup the year before. Still 0-0 in the 85th minute and with the dream of getting on a quiet metro, we left the frustrating match of a team we hadn’t heard of until that afternoon. You may see where this is going. Fluminense substitute Lima scored a header in the 87th minute to win the game. By the cheers we could hear from outside (before we had even exited the gates of the stadium) I’m sure the celebrations were great. A speed-walk to the station and a seat on a relatively quiet metro though, made it all okay. I think my experience of Brazilian football may have been an anomaly but despite the tragic quality of the match itself, the atmosphere alone made it all worth it and I would recommend it to any sports fan willing to make a fool of themselves singing along to Brazilian chants. Varsity is the independent newspaper for the University of Cambridge, established in its current form in 1947. In order to maintain our editorial independence, our print newspaper and news website receives no funding from the University of Cambridge or its constituent Colleges. We are therefore almost entirely reliant on advertising for funding and we expect to have a tough few months and years ahead. In spite of this situation, we are going to look at inventive ways to look at serving our readership with digital content and of course in print too! Therefore we are asking our readers, if they wish, to make a donation from as little as £1, to help with our running costs. Many thanks, we hope you can help! 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Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match This is the first time the teams are playing against each other 29 Apr 2025 22:00:00 GMT?Internacional won 1–0 over Maracana EC on Tue 29 Apr 2025 22:00:00 GMT.About the matchInternacional is playing home against Maracana EC at Estádio José Pinheiro Borda on Tue Environmental Informatics and Remote Sensing Volume 12 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1506701 This article is part of the Research TopicRestoring Our Blue Planet: Advances in Marine and Coastal RestorationView all 4 articles Coastal basins stand out for their continent-estuary interface and connection as corridors of mangrove forests The Maracanã River Basin (MRB) represents this environment holding various ecosystem services for the component municipalities protected areas with highly sensitive environments and water demand The proposed aim was to identify areas of degradation and environmental conservation in the MRB using the Blueprint model as support for water resource management The methodology involved the application of the Blueprint model in the MRB and characterization of the ecological units The results showed that the MRB basin predominantly exhibits the degradation and restoration/connectivity classes in the Annual Blueprint (ABP) and Dry Blueprint (DBP) the Rainy Blueprint (RBP) predominantly exhibits Environmental Integrity Statistical tests showed significant differences between ABP-RBP and DBP-RBP which can be explained by the fact that on an annual scale of analysis with a tendency toward environmental integrity and intermediate classes in the rainy period; in the dry period restoration and connectivity and degradation classes predominate The correlation analysis indicates that natural vegetation cover shows a significant correlation with annual precipitation These results provide significant insight into understanding the dynamics of degradation and conservation areas assisting decision-makers in the environmental planning of the basin the climatic component showed a differential response on annual and seasonal scales acting as a modulating agent of the indicators In this sense, the Maracanã River Basin (MRB), located in northeastern Pará, hosts various activities across the municipalities it encompasses. These include agriculture, mining, and oil palm cultivation, which can impact its function as a hydrological and geo-environmental unit, given its importance for biodiversity and the conservation of fluvial-marine ecosystems (FAPESPA, 2023) integrated analysis can assist in evaluating the impacts of human activities carried out throughout the MRB understanding the current state of conservation and identifying essential areas for maintaining environmental quality there is a lack of studies that address an integrated and systemic analysis in MRB and studies that can help understand the synergy of hydrology and environmental management of land use are important it is essential to map the regions that present areas of degradation and higher conservation along the headwaters aiming to contribute to the sustainable planning of natural resources in the MRB the proposal was to assess the areas of environmental degradation and conservation in the MRB using the Blueprint model to assist in water resource management and environmental planning of the basin The MRB (Figure 1) is located in the northeast mesoregion of the state of Pará, in the coastal zone of the Amazon, with a total area of 3.093.26 km2. According to the State Water Resources Policy (Law No. 6.381/2001), it falls within the Northeast Atlantic Coastal Hydrographic Region (Pará, 2001; Pará, 2008) covering 14 municipalities: Maracanã Its main headwaters are in the municipalities of Castanhal and its mouth is in the bay of the municipality of Maracanã the Extractive Reserve of Maracanã (Resex Maracanã) covering approximately 20.38% of its territory and the Chocoaré - Mato Grosso RESEX In this application of the Blueprint model we consider rainfall data as an indicator to assist land use in the hydrological response of the MRB we propose a new scale for the selection criteria of ecological units (EUs) and Blueprint classes Flowchart of the Blueprint model methodology framework The application of the Blueprint model to the MRB was based on the use of the drainage network obtained from (IBGE, 2021) through continuous cartographic databases at a scale of 1:250,000 (derived from the update of original digital databases with the Google Earth system and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission - SRTM digital elevation model). The hydrographic basins were defined according to the Ottocodificadas basin system (ANA, 2017) The analytical procedures were conducted using QGIS 3.34 software In the classification of EU, the systematization proposed by (Linke et al., 2019) was used, as defined in the digital database of HydroAtlas (level 12) (Available at Google Earth Engine: ee.FeatureCollection(“WWF/HydroATLAS/v1/Basins/level12”)), which generated 23 EUs. These units adhere to criteria of representativeness, uniqueness, functionality, and resilience, varying in size according to drainage areas (Petry et al., 2019) The precipitation data were derived from WorldClim v1.4 for the period of 1950–2000, with a resolution of 30 arc-seconds (Linke et al., 2019) This long-term historical series enabled the definition of relative values for the basin including annual and quarterly averages for both rainy and less rainy periods Monthly average rainfall data from ERA5-Land Monthly Aggregated - ECMWF Climate Reanalysis for the years 1950–2000 were used to understand the behavior of rainfall influence over the years on the basin (Muñoz Sabater, 2019) ERA5-Land Monthly Aggregated - ECMWF Climate Reanalysis data were converted within the GEE platform from meters to millimeters for each year’s accumulated sum This dataset was chosen because the precipitation data from HydroAtlas derived from WorldClim v1.4 between 1950 and 2000 did not present a time series for the accumulated sum of each year Table 2 summarizes the criteria adopted to identify the relative conservation status according to the Blueprint method with simulation under three rainfall volume conditions: annual average The units were reclassified according to the criteria and grouped by degree of similarity of response Criteria adopted for the selection of ecological units (EU) The calculation of the Blueprint (BP) (Equation 1) considered the reclassification criteria (Figure 3) presented in Table 2. Where BP corresponds to the Blueprint; and Xi are the variables used in the multiplication (Petry et al., 2019) Reclassification of land use and cover classes and rainfall seasons The final classification of the Blueprint (Table 3) based on the Natural Breaks (Jenks) classification method defined 5 intervals resulting in the scale of environmental integrity Blueprint classes and their respective values and definition p-values of the Shapiro-Wilk test of the variables analyzed in the Blueprint model The precipitation in the MRB basin (Figure 4) showed an annual average of 2.517.13 ± 154.17 mm with the highest values occurring from February to April (rainy quarter) The highest monthly averages were recorded in March with 482.10 ± 33.77 mm April with 427.80 ± 62.07 mm and February with 373.00 ± 25.47 mm The lowest values in the basin were found from September to November (dry quarter) with the lowest monthly averages being 23.48 ± 5.98 mm in November 29.39 ± 5.98 mm in October and 45.57 ± 12.82 mm in September Average monthly precipitation between 1950 and 2000 The results of the precipitation time series (Figure 5) indicated a negative trend in annual precipitation with an average reduction of 7.6 mm/year (m = −7.6 this trend was not statistically significant and only 3% of the precipitation variation could be explained by temporal variation which indicates a strong influence of other factors The results of the Blueprints (Figure 6) showed that in the ABP, the degradation class predominates (34.51%), covering 106,740.97 ha, followed by the Intermediate Integrity class (27.73%) with 85,785.25 ha, Restoration and Connectivity (22.69%) with 70,182.35 ha, and Environmental Integrity (15.07%) with 46,617.41 ha (Table 5) the majority of the area is classified as Environmental Integrity (61.64%) with 190,675.32 ha and Intermediate Integrity (38.36%) with 118,650.66 ha resulting in the majority of the classes being: Restoration and Connectivity (39.98%) with 123,671.55 ha Degradation (34.51%) with 106,740.97 ha and Intermediate Integrity (25.51%) with 78,913.46 ha In this context, the analysis of the Blueprint during the annual average period and the average periods of the wet and dry quarters (Figure 7) showed significant differences in how the trends of conservation and degradation can vary at different times of the year Boxplot graph of the: Annual Blueprint (ABP) Rainy Blueprint (RBP) and Dry Blueprint (DBP) The Kruskal–Wallis test results showed significant differences between the groups of ABP The Dunn test indicated significant differences between ABP-RBP and DBP-RBP (p-adj < 0.05) These results suggest that the ABP provides a better distribution of values for understanding environmental conditions over a specific period of time (annual average) rather than on a seasonal (quarterly) scale The cluster analysis through the resulting dendrogram (Figures 8, 9) indicated a strong similarity between the two groups (1–9/7–16) This is due to the proximity of responses in most parts of the basin to the analyzed criteria showing that the basin tends to respond similarly under climatic pressure This similarity is especially evident in the behavior of the annual average precipitation and during the less rainy period Dendrogram of annual blueprint (ABP) and rainy blueprint (RBP) Dendrogram of annual blueprint (ABP) and dry blueprint (DBP) The scenario observed in the middle-lower course of the basin is mainly influenced by the presence of primary vegetation and mangroves Figures 1012 indicate a significant correlation of the Annual Blueprint (ABP) with the average annual precipitation (r = 0.98) ABP with natural vegetation cover (r = 0.90) and average annual precipitation with natural vegetation cover (r = 0.88) (p < 0.001) Other significant relationships were found between the ABP and agriculture (r = 0.59) and average annual precipitation with agriculture (r = 0.60) (p < 0.01) as well as natural vegetation cover with agriculture (r = 0.50; p < 0.05) Abbreviations: Natural Vegetation Cover (VC) Annual BluePrint (ABP) (p-value: * significance at the 0.05 level ** significance at the 0.01 level ***significance at the 0.001 level) average precipitation for the rainy trimester Rainy BluePrint (RBP) (p-value: * significance at the 0.05 level average precipitation for the dry trimester Dry BluePrint (DBP) (p-value: * significance at the 0.05 level ***significance at the 0.001 level The relationship between land use and cover during the rainy season showed a significant correlation between RBP and the average rainfall for the rainy quarter (r = 0.82) RBP and natural vegetation cover (r = 0.89) and the average rainfall for the rainy quarter with natural vegetation cover (r = 0.73) (p < 0.001) was found between RBP and agriculture (r = 0.60; p < 0.01) the most significant correlation was between DBP and natural vegetation cover (r = 0.90; p < 0.001) and DBP and agriculture (r = 0.61; p < 0.01) The correlation present in all three correlation matrices was between agriculture and natural vegetation cover (r = 0.50; p < 0.05) Although this correlation is lower compared to the others it is still significant and can be explained by the spatial distribution where areas closer to the mouth of the basin have higher natural vegetation cover and lower agricultural activity The results obtained from the classes of environmental integrity and intermediate integrity in the annual, rainy, and less rainy periods highlight the large portion of vegetative cover in the lower course region. The PAs, represented by mangrove forests along the Maracanã River, are relevant for gene flow in species, serving as ecological corridors (Torres-Amaral et al., 2023) The influence of vegetative cover on agriculture, with the incorporation of legumes and agroforestry systems, plays an important role in improving soil biological health, increasing microbial community abundance, biomass, and ecological structure, compared to no vegetative cover cropping in agricultural activities (Rego and Kato, 2018; Muhammad et al., 2021) Vegetative cover has been shown to be a determining factor in environmental conservation conditions in the Blueprint model, which, according to the method proposed by (Petry et al., 2019), aims at ecological maintenance, with the preservation of forest species and combating biodiversity loss (Brandão et al., 2022) The results in both periods (rainy and less rainy) are essential for understanding these changes and dynamics in the behavior of land use and land cover classes in the dry and rainy seasons emphasizing the importance of maintaining vegetative cover for the hydrological cycle at these seasonal scales as these are periods that highlight vegetation resilience The obtained results can aid in the spatial understanding of areas experiencing water deficit and degradation particularly in the southern region of the basin which exhibits greater heterogeneity in land use classes impacting the hydrological cycle (water recharge and evapotranspiration) more intensely on an annual and seasonal scale there is a need for more significant maintenance of vegetative cover areas as well as the implementation and strengthening of existing environmental and water management policies This application of the Blueprint model in MRB is an adaptation of the original methodology proposed by Petry et al. (2019) considering the average distribution of precipitation on an annual and seasonal scale as the representation of land use and rainfall are indicators of hydrological response this adapted methodology presents this gap of having considered only two variables: land use and land cover and precipitation reinforcing above all the development of exploratory and analytical work of the data in situ in applications of this methodology in the future Another factor that compromised the results is the lack of data from hydrometeorological stations in the MRB Other applications of this methodology adapted from the Blueprint model are suggested considering other hydrometeorological and geomorphological variables making the model more robust and improving the accuracy The Imagery use of high resolution can improve the results by the classification more detailed Another approach is to compare results applied in other basins worldwide also comparing the temporal applicability of land use changes since over the years these scenarios of soil conservation and degradation can alter the EUs The MRB exhibited a rainfall distribution with a less rainy period from September to November and a rainy period between February and April The basin predominantly showed the “Degradation” class in ABP and the “Restoration and Connectivity” class in DBP there was a predominance of “Environmental Integrity” emphasizing the importance of rainfall in the Blueprint model as an ecological indicator and for ecosystem restoration in the basin it was possible to verify that in the Blueprint model the natural vegetation cover class showed a significant correlation with all variables playing a fundamental role in the ecosystem services of the MRB The main contribution of the research was to discuss a methodology applied to the decision-making process aimed at conservation practices in the watershed environment The influence of rainfall precipitation was tested on both annual and seasonal scales highlighting the importance of climate monitoring coupled with hydrological monitoring as indicators of watershed hydrodynamics and its capacity for recovery in extreme weather events areas of degradation occur in regions most sensitive to water recharge indicating the need for actions to conserve areas prioritized for environmental quality It is important to note the limitation of land use and lack of available precipitation data from hydrometeorological stations in the basin there is a need to enhance the Blueprint model using other variables that may better respond to a more in-depth integrated analysis The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research This contribution is part of the master thesis of the Environmental Sciences Program (PPGCA) from the Federal University of Pará with a scholarship from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brazil (CAPES) which financed this study under Finance Code 001 This study was supported by the research project of the ESPOL University “ILCA: Impact of Land Cover change in the Amazon” with the code no The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher Identifying priority areas for conservation: using ecosystem services hotspot mapping for land-use/land-cover planning in central of Iran PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Time of concentration model for non-urban tropical basins based on physiographic characteristics and observed rainfall responses CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Köppen’s climate classification map for Brazil CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar ANA (2017). 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The use distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Lucas Lima Raiol, bHVjYXMucmFpb2xAaWcudWZwYS5icg==; Andrés Velastegui-Montoya, ZHZlbGFzdGVAZXNwb2wuZWR1LmVj Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed OneFootball's home page Search Settings Sign In Sign InJoin🇧🇷 Under intense heat Flamengo and Fluminense draw at Maracanã | OneFootballOneFootball This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here. In the Maracanã, Flamengo and Fluminense drew 0-0 in the big classic of the ninth and penultimate round of Cariocão 2025 Before the ball rolled, a minute of silence in tribute to the six years of the death of 10 young people from the base of Flamengo, in a fire at the training center, on February 8, 2019. The club also used a special patch on the chest of the shirt. Generally, the classic was not good technically and below what the teams can present. Despite the strong heat in Rio de Janeiro, the teams gave their all on the field, even with a very intense rhythm, but it stopped there. Alex Sandro left the game early and stayed on the bench putting ice on his groin area. Tricolor was also not unscathed. Thiago Silva felt a problem in his heel at the end of the first half and left the classic at halftime. The best chance of the initial stage was in a header from Bruno Henrique, who took paint off Fábio's crossbar. The "South American trick" between the Chilean red-black Pulgar and the Colombian tricolor Arias was what drew the most attention in the first 45 minutes. After the interval, the game continued in "lukewarm". Few chances were created. The best opportunity came at the end, when Ayrton Lucas crossed from the left, and Everton Cebolinha headed for a great save from the experienced tricolor goalkeeper. Fluminense0Flamengo008/02/2025Full time🏆 How it staysWith the result, Flamengo remained in second place with 14 points, behind Volta Redonda (16 points), but with one game less, while Fluminense stayed in eighth place with 11 points In the next round, Tricolor das Laranjeiras receives Nova Iguaçu despite playing the classic with Vasco in the next round Related News😯 Several favourites disappoint in first legs of Brazil Cup third round Joao Felix in limbo again as Flamengo offer escape route to forgotten Chelsea star Gabigol secures Cruzeiro win over Flamengo at the Mineirão There may be a race to sign a Flamengo right-back and Manchester City could be in it Revealed: Man Utd close to agreement after offering contract to Arsenal transfer target Harry Kane says long-awaited first trophy ‘feels sweet’: ‘Been a long time coming’ Trent Alexander-Arnold announces Liverpool exit Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed that he will leave Liverpool this summer via a lengthy social media statement.The academy product is out of contract at Anfield at the end of the... Premier League Awards: Enciso stunner, Semenyo or Delap? Sign InJoin📹 Flamengo Returns to Maracanã with 'New 10' | OneFootballOneFootball This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here. In their first match at Maracanã in 2025, Flamengo beat Sampaio Corrêa 2-0 on Thursday (30) concluding the sixth round of the Carioca Championship even while resting the players considered starters with an intense rhythm and great chances created as in the finishes of Alcaraz (22' and 27') and João Victor (28') After Matheus Gonçalves (4') had his annulled the new gem Wallace Yan (30') opened the scoring by completing a header Alcaraz (42') appeared almost in the small area to test firm and expand please use a different one or install the app the night at Maracanã had other highlights The right-back/centre-back received the number 13 shirt and made clear his excitement about joining Flamengo Arrascaeta received the sacred number at Flamengo with the blessings of Zico In the second half, Varela had a strong head clash with Lucas Marreta. Both were substituted, but the Flamengo foreigner did not initially enter the concussion protocol. Flamengo2Sampaio Corrêa FE031/01/2025Full time🚦 How it standsWith the third consecutive victory, Flamengo reached 10 points and took the fourth place in the table closing the G-4 alongside Volta Redonda (12 points) Sampaio Corrêa remained with one point and fell to the penultimate position The Rubro-Negro returns to the field on Sunday (2) Featured Photo: Gilvan de Souza/Divulgação X Flamengo Related NewsJoao Felix in limbo again as Flamengo offer escape route to forgotten Chelsea star 😯 Several favourites disappoint in first legs of Brazil Cup third round Football cult hero Adriano was gifted a bizarre yet heart-warming message from his father through the power of AI Adriano was one of the brightest talents to emerge from one of Brazil's many golden eras in the early 2000s and had been widely touted for a career at the very height of the game However after looking set to succeed Ronaldo as Brazil's next great world-beating No 9 the passing of his father derailed his career The man himself has spoken openly about how he was consumed by depression explaining how he went from 'heaven to hell' in the space of just nine days stories of Adriano's breathtaking goals and dizzying success were replaced by shocking anecdotes of the striker blacking out drunk missing games and allegedly rubbing shoulders with drug lords as rampant alcoholism took hold an exhibition match in Brazil saw Adriano reduced to tears as a message from his beloved late father was played on the big screens at the iconic Maracana burst into tears and struggle to stand up as the homage played out pacing up and down with his head in his hands with the game momentarily halted for the message to be played out He played one half for both the Flamengo legends side and the Friends of Italy team who had assembled to mark the official farewell to football of Adriano over the weekend It was a star-studded line-up akin to something a video game might cook up; the Flamengo side featured legends like Romario and was managed by iconic former international Zico deemed the best Brazilian to never win the World Cup The Italian side also had its own glittering collection of stars Dida and David Pizarro - as well as Adriano's son Adrianinho The tears had already begun prior to kick-off after his grandmother appeared at the centre circle and then continued when his son scored for the Friends of Italy side Adriano was twice on the scoresheet - once for each side - and netted the final goal with almost the last kick of the game after Emerson Sheik gave him the ball for a penalty so he could sign off from the game in perfect fashion I'm going to see friends I played with a long time ago I hope it's a wonderful event for the fans and for me as well because I deserve it (laughs),' Adriano told ge before the game He retired in 2016 at the age of 34, having won 14 major honours in his career including four Serie A titles with Inter the former striker failed to reach the heights many predicted when he burst onto the scene The former star struggled with alcoholism and depression during his time in Italy and has now claimed that he's 'football's biggest waste' In an interview with The Players Tribune, Adriano said: 'Do you know what it feels like to be a promise? I know. Including an unfulfilled promise. Football's biggest waste: Me. 'I like that word, waste. Not only because of how it sounds, but because I'm obsessed with wasting my life. I'm fine like this, in frantic waste. I enjoy this stigma. 'I don't do drugs, as they try to prove. I'm not into crime, but, of course, I could have been. I don't like clubbing. 'I drink every other day, yes. (And the other days, too.) How does a person like me get to the point of drinking almost every day? 'I don't like giving explanations to others. But here's one. I drink because it's not easy to be a promise that remains in debt. And it gets even worse at my age'.  Adriano's scoring record for Inter dramatically dipped during the 2006-07 campaign and he only played a bit-part role the following season as he battled with his demons. He was subsequently loaned out to Sao Paulo and spent the majority of his remaining playing days in his native country of Brazil. Speaking on his time in Italy, he said: 'I was broken. I grabbed a bottle of vodka. I'm not exaggerating, bro. I drank all that shit alone. I filled my a** with vodka. I cried all night.  'I passed out on the couch because I drank so much and cried. But that was it, right, man? What could I do? I was in Milan for a reason. It was what I had dreamed of my entire life.  'God had given me the opportunity to become a football player in Europe. My family's life has improved a lot thanks to my Lord and everything He did for me. And my family did a lot too.  'That was a small price I had to pay, compared to what was happening and what was still going to happen. I had this clear in my head. But that didn't stop me from being sad'.  The emergence of a clip that purportedly showed him day-drinking in his childhood favela at the start of the month fuelled concern that he was never able to shirk the trappings of alcoholism. He was seen stumbling about the streets barefoot in broad daylight, sticking out his tongue and wildly gesturing to those around him with a chaotic smile plastered across his face.  The Brazilian legend was later seen sitting against a lamppost and staring into space as he gently swayed back and forth in uncomfortable footage that ignited a debate on social media. No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first. {{message}} Our comprehensive round-up of the 10 biggest football stadiums in the world in 2025 Football stadiums are among the greatest mega constructions projects in the world with teams beginning to understand the importance of being bigger and better than all the rest host the biggest matches in the global game as well as cultural events While the dimensions of the pitch is subject to strict rules and regulations the various arenas and venues comes in different shapes To celebrate the beauty and the behemoths that play host to the beautiful game we've drawn up a list of the biggest stadiums in the world – and that's not a straightforward task We've filtered out bespoke national stadiums and whittled the list down to those grounds which host regular club football on a permanent Old Trafford has missed the cut by a few thousand seats meaning zero of the top 10 biggest club football stadiums can be found in the UK RadioTimes.com brings you our definitive list of the 10 biggest club football stadiums in the world in 2025 One of the most historic venues in world football the 78,838-capacity stadium is home to a couple of Brazil's biggest club sides - Flamengo and Fluminense It was built in Rio de Janeiro for the 1950 World Cup and staged seven matches including the final as Uruguay beat the hosts in front of a record attendance of 199,854 The Maracanã has been rebuilt numerous times over the years and hosted the 2014 World Cup final as well as the 2019 Copa America showpiece when the Seleção got the better of Peru The second-most successful club in the Democratic Republic of the Congo play their home games in the country's biggest stadium located in the town of Lingwala in Kinshasa Built at a cost of $38,000,000 when it was opened in 1994 it has an official capacity of 80,000 but can be extended to 100,000 The largest stadium in Italy is the historic home of Milan rivals AC and Inter massive rock concerts and four European Cup finals It was set to be demolished and replaced by a brand spanking new arena after hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony but it has been saved from the scrapheap due to its cultural heritage owned by a club you probably haven't heard of Peru and is the largest stadium by seating capacity on the South American continent as it can welcome a maximum of 80,093 through the doors It successfully staged the 2019 Copa Libertadores final when Flamengo beat River Plate The home of Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund also known as the Westfalenstadion for those who hate sponsorship titles boasts an official capacity of 81,365 for domestic matches is the largest free-standing grandstand in Europe and is home to the most vocal Dortmund supporters It was officially opened in 1974 and has undergone various renovations over the years with the most recent makeover being completed at a cost of €200 million in 2006 ahead of the World Cup If you thought Estadio Monumental was a vast arena wait until you check out Estadio Más Monumental which directly – and superbly – translates as More Monumental Stadium really is bigger than its Peruvian near-namesake arena The Argentinian giants can drum up an outrageous atmosphere inside their home ground making it one of the most fearsome cauldrons to play football in the world Real Madrid's stadium is the second largest in Spain but it has been undergoing a facelift since 2019 as the club bids to bring their home into the 21st century The makeover was initially estimated to cost €570 million but was hit by delays including the coronavirus pandemic and war in Ukraine pushing the final bill north of €1 billion including interest payments over 30 years the Bernabeu is set to boast a capacity in excess of 85,000 One of the most iconic stadiums on the list the Estadio Azteca is set to become the only venue to host three editions of the World Cup when Mexico co-host the tournament with the USA and Canada in 2026 It has been the backdrop for some iconic moments including Brazil's 4-1 demolition of Italy in the 1970 World Cup final and Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal when Argentina beat England at the 1986 World Cup Mexican top-flight teams Club America and Cruz Azul share the ground for their home games and the capacity was reduced to 87,523 after a revamp in 2016 You probably remember this stadium from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as it was the setting for Siphiwe Tshabalala's stunning goal in the opening game and the final as Spain beat the Netherlands It was opened in 1989 and staged Nelson Mandela's speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison before being renovated in 2009 the South African football team not the English indie band play their games at the 94,736-capacity stadium but struggle to sell it out apart from the Soweto Derby with Orlando Pirates Barcelona's ground could seat an incredible 99,354 people making it the biggest club football stadium on the planet The 67-year-old arena is undergoing a major redevelopment that forced Barca to leave their historic home in 2023/24 and they will return with a limited capacity the stadium will boast 105,000 seats and world-class facilities Spotify boast the current sponsorship rights to the stadium which hosted five games at the 1982 World Cup as well as the 1999 Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich Biggest football stadiums in the worldOur comprehensive round-up of the 10 biggest football stadiums in the world in 2025 we've drawn up a list of the biggest stadiums in the world – and that's not a straightforward task We've filtered out bespoke national stadiums and whittled the list down to those grounds which host regular club football on a permanent RadioTimes.com brings you our definitive list of the 10 biggest club football stadiums in the world in 2025 Maracana Stadium Getty ImagesOne of the most historic venues in world football the 78,838-capacity stadium is home to a couple of Brazil's biggest club sides - Flamengo and Fluminense Stade des Martyrs Getty ImagesThe second-most successful club in the Democratic Republic of the Congo play their home games in the country's biggest stadium also stages the national team's fixtures San Siro Getty ImagesThe largest stadium in Italy is the historic home of Milan rivals AC and Inter Estadio Monumental Getty ImagesA ground you've probably never heard owned by a club you probably haven't heard of Signal Iduna Park Getty ImagesThe home of Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund Estadio Más Monumental Getty ImagesIf you thought Estadio Monumental was a vast arena Santiago Bernabeu Getty ImagesReal Madrid's stadium is the second largest in Spain but it has been undergoing a facelift since 2019 as the club bids to bring their home into the 21st century Estadio Azteca Getty ImagesOne of the most iconic stadiums on the list It has been the backdrop for some iconic moments including Brazil's 4-1 demolition of Italy in the 1970 World Cup final and Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal when Argentina beat England at the 1986 World Cup FNB Stadium Getty ImagesYou probably remember this stadium from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as it was the setting for Siphiwe Tshabalala's stunning goal in the opening game and the final as Spain beat the Netherlands It was opened in 1989 and staged Nelson Mandela's speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison before being renovated in 2009 Camp Nou Getty ImagesBarcelona's ground could seat an incredible 99,354 people Michael PottsSport EditorMichael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014 you are agreeing to site title privacy policy This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. 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Holiday brochuresNeed inspiration of where to go next Request a free brochure and start your journey The requested URL was not found on this server Ryan Reynolds celebrated wildly after scoring a penalty at the iconic Maracana stadium earning a hilarious response from Wrexham star Paul Mullin The Legend’s Youth came within a hair’s breadth of reaching the summit of world football In the Intercontinental U20 final at Maracanã against CR Flamengo Prekates hit the post in the 88th minute with what could have been the go-ahead goal Felipe Teresa found the back of the net to clinch victory for the Brazilian side Despite being the better team for most of the historic match and taking the lead through Liatsikouras in the 54th minute Sotiris Silaidopoulos’ outstanding squad couldn’t pull off the miracle They conceded two goals before the final whistle (the equalizer in the 73rd minute by Caio Garcia) and suffered a defeat but they walked off the pitch with their heads held high Digital Sports ReporterPublished: Invalid Date FLAMENGO are to leave the legendary Maracana Stadium for a new state-of-the-art stadium in Rio de Janeiro According to Coliseum the new ground's designers Arena Events+Venues have presented their plans to the club’s board of directors and members This comes after the Brazilian giants submitted a winning bid to secure land at the Gasometro site in Rio for their new stadium which is expected to have a capacity of 78,000 state-of-the-art technology and a multifunctional vision Flamengo's new home in Rio will host football matches as well as a variety of events It will offer unique experiences for fans and tourists a Megastore and a unique rooftop walkway with breathtaking views of the "Marvellous City" Flamengo, though, are not ruling out the possibility of opening the stadium earlier. Arena Events+Venues CEO Carlos de la Corte said: "This project represents the fusion of tradition and innovation, uniting the passion for sports with a design that reflects the greatness of Flamengo and its fans, as well as the culture of Rio de Janeiro. “Our goal is to create a space that transcends sports, offering a lasting legacy for the country.” will not be left without a tenant after Flamengo's departure The ground is still being used by their fierce rivals Fluminense and Brazil's national team The esteemed Maracana has hosted two World Cup finals in 1950 and 2014 Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ 18+ | Commercial Content | T&Cs apply | Gambleaware.org As the curtains fall on each football World Cup the stadiums that once hosted the global sporting extravaganza undergo a series of pragmatic changes.  these stadiums face the practical challenges of finding purpose in the post-tournament landscape From the adaptive strategies of Qatar's stadiums to the deserted grandeur of Brazil's Maracana the evolution of these venues reflects a more straightforward narrative of repurposing Here we look at the state of stadiums following the World Cups in Brazil and Qatar and look ahead to the plans for the stadiums that will be used at the 2026 World Cup in the USA The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has left behind a legacy of architectural brilliance with seven state-of-the-art stadiums attention turned to Qatar's apparent commitment to a sustainable future for these World Cup stadiums Khalifa International Stadium where Japan made a historic group stage victory over Spain is the only stadium that has been left as is and is now the Qatar national team's home Renowned for its unique design using 974 shipping containers the ground was praised for being the world's first ‘transportable stadium’.  Due to its ability to be dismantled and reassembled, Stadium 974 (formerly known as the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium) was initially slated for donation post-World Cup but other reports suggested that it could end up in Uruguay These stadiums have undergone a 50% reduction in capacity with around 40,000 seats being donated to sub-Saharan African nations for football infrastructure The Qatar Stars League will use both stadiums ensuring their ongoing contribution to local sports Located within multiple university campuses at the Qatar Foundation’s Education City, Education City Stadium will remain part of Qatar's education hub The stadium has retained around half of its 44,667 capacity for use by universities and educational facilities including Lionel Messi's World Cup triumph at Lusail these stadiums are set to be repurposed into community hubs Al Thumama Stadium has seen a reduction in seating capacity and repurposing for sporting facilities.  The 2026 World Cup will be held in the USA Mexico and Canada but due to how established sport is in these countries not nearly as much construction work is needed compared to what happened in Qatar not a single stadium is being built for the tournament which is just as well considering this will be the largest World Cup to date The USA will host more matches at the tournament than the other two nations with 11 stadiums selected as hosts The majority of stadiums selected by the USA are currently used by NFL teams and will continue that way after the tournament has finished Three of the World Cup 2026 host stadiums are in Mexico, including the legendary Estadio Azteca which boosts a capacity of 87,523. While historic, the Azteca is undergoing renovation work ahead of the 2026 World Cup This work will arguably be the biggest legacy left behind from the tournament as it will take the capacity to the 90,000 mark Canada only have two host venues for the World Cup due to the fact it isn't a nation full of huge stadiums like the USA The two Canadian stadiums that are being used for the World Cup are currently used by MLS teams the fate of the iconic stadiums tells a tale of glory At the heart of this narrative stands the legendary Maracana holds the bittersweet memory of Brazil's defeat to Uruguay in the final round The stadium also hosted the final of the 2014 tournament in which Mario Götze’s extra-time goal saw Germany beat Argentina 1-0 Photos surfaced in 2017 revealing a dried-up field and shattered windows—a stark contrast to its former glory A debt dispute of R$3 million led to a power outage symbolising the tumult between the stadium's owner signing an agreement in 2017 to administer Maracanã CNN‘s report in 2017 depicted Maracana as a ghostly figure Violent incidents and a break-in resulting in the loss of valuable memorabilia painted a grim picture Lagardère's intervention brought hope with Maracana reclaiming its status as a footballing icon the stadium has received spending of R$15 million on emergency repairs and has turned itself into a fitting final venue again having hosted the Copa America final in 2019 and 2021 The journey from abandonment to hosting major fixtures reflects the enduring spirit of Maracanã other 2014 World Cup stadiums faced diverse destinies witnessed increased attendance but struggled with maintenance costs Brasilia's Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha stands as one of the most expensive stadiums globally Despite hosting seven World Cup games in 2014 the grandeur of its World Cup days seemed to have given way to a utilitarian role like with the Maracana the ground made a U-turn and even hosted seven games at the 2021 Copa América the stage for Brazil's unforgettable 7-1 defeat to Germany the stadium maintained its essence without significant post-World Cup alterations the home stadium for Sport Club Internacional stood out as one of the few privately-owned venues from the 2014 World Cup welcoming global music acts like Green Day notorious for its extreme heat during the World Cup grappling with the balance between functionality and community engagement had to attempt to gain funding by hosting weddings and kids' parties The post-2014 fate of Brazil's World Cup stadiums exemplifies the intricate dance between legacy they stand as testaments to the broader global conversation about the lasting impact of mega sporting events on infrastructure and communities FootballGroundGuide » Latest Football Stadium and Fan News » What happens to World Cup stadiums after the tournament ends? 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All rights reserved FILE - King Pele Avenue surrounds Maracana stadium after it was renamed as a tribute to legendary Brazilian soccer star Edson Arantes do Nascimento The administrator of the Maracana Stadium said on Aug RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Maracana Stadium will close after this weekend’s Brazilian league games for field renovations ahead of the 78,000-seat venue hosting the Copa Libertadores final Nov The first steps will be for “necessary verifications and evaluations for the planning of the works,” the stadium’s administrator said in a statement on Tuesday “The damage that has been caused cannot be reversed without an interruption (of play),” the statement said No timeframe was specified to re-open the stadium Rio de Janeiro clubs fear that the closure could be lengthy Heavy rains and excessive action on the pitch over the past three months have affected play and increased the risk of injuries Puddles formed in the penalty boxes in the latest Brazilian championship and Copa Libertadores matches in the stadium the highest number of any stadium in Brazil during that period Stadia in Europe host on average 30 matches per season Aerial view of a football field in Sao Paulo 2024AFPWith its famed 'jogo bonito' (beautiful game) iconic stars and record five World Cup titles Brazil has long been known as the "land of football".But is it still The country of Pele, Garrincha and Ronaldinho which once wowed the world with its 'samba' style Nor has it produced a Ballon d'Or winner since Kaka in 2007 With the "Selecao" currently struggling to book its place at the 2026 World Cup, many in Brazil and beyond wonder why We used to have more top-quality athletes," the late Pele's eldest son Street art depicting former Brazilian football star Pele is seen on a street leading into the Morro da Babilonia favela in Rio de JaneiroAFPEven President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has joined the national soul-searching admitting Brazil "doesn't play the greatest football in the world anymore" One answer could be the decline of street football, where some of Brazil's all-time greats started out, such as Rivellino, Zico and Romario "Nobody plays in the street anymore. You don't hear stories about that kick that broke somebody's window," said amateur footballer Lauro Nascimento, his jersey stained with orange mud after playing on one of the few dirt pitches left on Sao Paulo's north side a 52-year-old finance professional who plays for local side Aurora broke several toes playing football barefoot as a boy Aerial view of a tent set up in the Pavao-Pavaozinho-Cantagalo favelaAFPToday the district of Vila Aurora is covered in concrete sprawl Two buildings stand on what was once a field used as a football pitch "Any open space used to be enough for kids to get their start in football they're seen as prime development real estate," said sports historian Aira Bonfim Nascimento and his friends pay $160 a month to rent the battered scrap of land where they play matches but that kind of money is a barrier for working class families Locals play football in a dirt field in Sao Paulo poor kids in Brazil often depend on school a surface some say develops players' technique less than the rough The decline in time spent playing the sport has had "a giant impact on our football" "We have a huge number of Brazilians playing in Europe but very few stars." Brazil's latest great hope, Neymar but struggled to lead the national team to championships in a career bogged down by controversy and injury Brazilians now have their hopes pinned on 23-year-old Vinicius Junior and young phenomenon Endrick, who is set to join Vinicius at Real Madrid when he turns 18 in July Brazil is still the world's top exporter of footballers clubs paid $935.3 million in transfer fees for 2,375 Brazilian players last year when the number of players was smaller - 1,753 Part of the drop is because teams are paying less to hire free agents and younger players But there is also a shortage of standout stars "Our technique has suffered," said Victor Hugo da Silva, a coach at Flamengo's youth academy in Sao Goncalo "The playing style changed and that ended up taking away some of our creativity Now it's become more mechanical." he trains seven to 10-year-olds dreaming of following in the footsteps of Vinicius The next generation still has football in its veins but has "difficulties" with training a problem Da Silva attributes to their sedentary lifestyles and "addiction" to screens More than one-third of children aged five to 19 are overweight or obese a talent scout for Sao Paulo club Corinthians said emerging footballers today face tougher conditions including the ability to play multiple positions and outsize expectations from family and the media they just had to worry about playing football," he said Palmeiras player Endrick during a match against Botafogo-SPAFPBut Leila Pereira insists Brazil will never stop being the country of football Brazilian teams have claimed the past five Copa Libertadores South American titles with Palmeiras claiming two of those The club is the cradle of Endrick - whose sale to Real Madrid brought in a reported $65million with bonuses - as well as rising prospects Estevao and Luis Guilherme "I disagree with those who think (Brazilian players) have lost quality Look at the astronomical sums they bring in," said Pereira is the face of a new brand of Brazilian football - more like Europe's "With the absurd salaries they pay the players which excludes fans like me," said Flamengo supporter David Santos he founded a fan club for Flamengo die-hards like himself from the impoverished favelas Fans of Flamengo and Vasco da Gama football teams gather to watch the Carioca derby matchAFPFrom atop the hillside slum that overlooks the trendy beach neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema they recreate the ambience of the Maracana on match days grilling barbecue and belting out chants as the match plays on a giant screen "The 'country of football' thing - we're losing that," said 38-year-old Vasco fan Pablo Igor. "Football is what you see here. It's a game of the people. But street kids like I was don't have access to it anymore." we can't find the page that you are looking for Don't let that stop you from visiting some of our other great related content protected by reCAPTCHA.css-trhdh3::after{background-color:#fa9000;}EXPLORE MOREblinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, ‘Blackmail tool’: Hamas rejects Israeli plan to bypass Gaza aid agenciesUN and humanitarian aid groups say Israel proposed ‘dangerous’ ration ‘scheme’ after nine-week siege Francis-era reforms that saw a diverse group of cardinals join the mix make his successor nearly impossible to call The attack comes as Moscow prepares to welcome foreign leaders from China and Brazil Reports say Israel now eyeing occupation of entire enclave control of aid and possible expulsion of Palestinians the California federal penitentiary has been shut for more than six decades A study gives clues to cosmic origin of gold and heavy elements and they were created earlier than we thought Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe says the ‘ongoing’ discussions are ‘still in the early stages’ US president makes claim after Mexican leader says her country’s sovereignty ‘not for sale.’ Attack claimed by Houthis temporarily halts air traffic at Israel’s busiest airport and triggers air raid sirens Police break up a fight between Brazilian and Argentinian fans that broke out prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Brazil and Argentina at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Brazilian and Argentinian fans fight in the stands prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Brazil and Argentina at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Fans react after a fight between Brazilian and Argentinians fans at the stands prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Police try to stop a fight between Brazilian and Argentinian fans prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Police try to stop a fight between Brazilian and Argentina fans in the stands prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro A woman tries to protect children after a fight between Brazilian and Argentina fans at the stands prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Players of Argentina try to calm the crowd after a fight between Brazilian and Argentinian fans in the stands prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Argentina’s Lionel Messi leaves the field after a fight between Brazilian and Argentinian fans broke out in the stands prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Police try to stop a fight between Brazilian and Argentinian fans that broke out prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Brazil and Argentina at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Lionel Messi led his Argentina lineup off the field because of a brawl between rival fans in Brazil delaying the start of their South American World Cup qualifier by 27 minutes Tuesday at the Maracana Stadium We were more worried about that than playing the match,” Messi said after the match “We did that (going to the locker room) because that was the way to make it all calm Players of both teams had earlier asked fans for calm with Argentina goalkeeper Dibu Martinez racing to one of the rails in front of the visiting fans and urging police to stop the violence Police used batons to break up the fights in the crowd which started minutes after the national anthems echoed around the stadium Parts of seating and other objects were thrown from both sides and hit some spectators behind one of the goals and at least one fan left the stadium bleeding from his head Argentina returned after 22 minutes in the locker rooms and warmed up for several minutes before the game was finally started Dozens of police surrounded Argentina fans as they cheered during the match and even more security faced toward them on the pitch Police gathered around the section that can hold about 3,000 fans the highest-ranking police officer in the stadium blamed organizers for the lack of a barrier between home and visiting fans This was a very technical approach,” Ferreira told TV channel SporTV All 69,000 tickets for the match in Rio de Janeiro were sold who jeered and applauded Messi before the brawl began chanted against him when he returned to the pitch Brazil players remained on the pitch and warmed up while waiting for the Argentina team to return Argentina leads South American World Cup qualifying with 15 points from six games Both teams had lost their previous games in the 10-team round-robin competition The rivalry between Brazil and Argentina started at the club level and grew after the Argentinians won their first World Cup title in 1978 The Brazilians beat Argentina 3-1 in the second phase of the 1982 World Cup and the Argentines responded with a 1-0 victory eight years later in the round of 16 The reginal rivals have since played fierce matches in World Cup qualifying and in Copa America They were expected to face off in the semifinals last year in Qatar but Brazil was knocked out by Croatia in the quarterfinals before Argentina went on to win the title for a third time The heated debate over who is the best footballer in history with most Brazilians going for Pelé and Argentinians split between Messi and Diego Maradona Brazil’s Fluminense won the Copa Libertadores final at the Maracana Stadium after a week of street fights between some of its supporters and those of Argentina’s Boca Juniors Being cheered by fans of Argentina’s greatest rivals at the scene of his most painful defeat would be another career highlight his first title for the national team and which paved the way for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar Two years after winning the South American title, Messi returns to the Maracanã on Tuesday for a World Cup qualifier at the perfect moment. Facing a Brazil in crisis lost and full of instability since their elimination in Qatar with the recognition and applause of the rival fans in what is one of the greatest classics in world football “It would be an achievement for Messi to be cheered in Brazil a world classic game,” says the former Brazil left-back Adriano who played with Messi between 2010 and 2016 at Barcelona it’s recognition for what he represents to world football.” Adriano closely followed Messi’s ups and downs over six seasons There were many many more positive moments “I often saw him upset at the criticism for never winning the World Cup There was always a lot of pressure on him to be like Maradona and to win the World Cup.” The most painful defeat was the 1-0 final loss against Germany in 2014. The failure in Brazil was followed by devastating defeats in two other finals, against Chile at the Copa América in 2015 and 2016. After the second one, Messi even announced his retirement from the national team, a decision he reversed two months later Messi looks glum after receiving the golden ball trophy rather than the one he really wanted after the 2014 World Cup final Photograph: Felipe Dana/APIn one of the rare interviews he gave during that period he vented his frustration at being treated as a “failure” by the press “My six-year-old son asks me why they criticise me so much in Argentina,” he said He knows that people like me,” Messi said in 2019 The frustration Messi expressed in that interview haunted him for a long time and had been clear to Adriano when his teammate returned to Barcelona after the World Cup five years previously It can’t be any different after coming so close to winning something important There was a lot of pressure on him and people questioned the fact that he wasn’t Argentinian because he went to Spain very young He was very sad about it because people didn’t see him as a reference person in the country that he didn’t have a relationship with the country He always had a lot of feeling for Argentina.” One of the turning points for Messi was winning the 2021 Copa América a tournament marked by off-field controversies After Argentina and Colombia refused to host matches because of the Covid-19 pandemic Brazil stepped in and was criticised by health experts In addition to the negative image of holding the tournament in a country that had more than 700,000 deaths from Covid-19 with Messi ending a 29-year trophyless streak by the national team in an empty Maracanã “The Copa América title made people see Messi differently,” says Adriano “They [Argentinians] saw the feeling and how he celebrated the title That really helped him win the World Cup and become one of the greatest figures in Argentina’s history.” most people have a feeling of admiration for one of the greatest players ever In the 2022 World Cup final and his individual duel with Kylian Mbappé Messi had the wide support of Brazilians because Neymar is one of his best friends and Neymar’s relationship with the France forward has never been friendly “Everyone wanted him to win so he could make football history,” says Adriano “He’s turned things around not only because of his quality but also because of his intelligence and his teammateship It was a privilege to have learned and lived with him for six years.” Free weekly newsletterThe best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s action Yet while Messi is enjoying a World Cup honeymoon with Argentina fans Brazil are going through one of the biggest crises in their history In addition to having not won a World Cup since 2002 equalling the longest run from 1970 to 1994 The Brazilian Football Confederation president says he has an agreement with Carlo Ancelotti but the Italian has never confirmed the deal nor has he given any sign that there is a possibility of taking over the team for the 2024 Copa América As well as not having a definitive coach, Brazil are missing big idols. Neymar is 31, injured again and will be out of action for the next few months. The same goes for Vinícius Júnior, who should be the Al-Hilal player’s successor as team leader. Without idols, the country is trying to cling to the past. Jorginho, the former right-back who won the World Cup in 1994 and is now a coach, sees the moment as similar to the one he experienced almost two decades ago. “In 1994, we were under a lot of pressure, but at the same time, we realised that it was our big chance to put our name down in the history of Brazilian and world football. It’s at times of difficulty that you have the chance to change your story,” he says. Another 1994 winner Branco, the former left-back who is now coordinator of Brazil’s youth teams, agrees and demands more from experienced players in the squad. “Every cycle you don’t win, your work is questioned,” he says. “In 1994, I was in my third World Cup. The pressure is there, but over time you learn to deal with each situation better. I knew what needed to be done and I used that experience to my advantage. Me and the ‘dinosaurs’, the group of older players, had the task of looking after the younger players. That worked out very well.” When Luigi De Magistris announced that the Stadio San Paolo would be renamed in honour of the late Diego Maradona The mayor of Naples was tapping into the overriding emotional impulse of his city When heartbroken Napoli fans launched a petition to call the club’s ground after its most beloved adopted son It was the definition of a win-win proposal The old name was historic but had no special resonance: St Paul isn’t even the patron saint of Naples The supporters were delighted; De Magistris claimed some easy political capital No sensible Brazilian politician would ever admit to being inspired by Argentina’s talisman Maradona but there is a good chance that a similar rationale was at play in Rio de Janeiro last week state legislators voted through a motion that will change the official name of the city’s famous Maracana stadium the stadium will become known as the Estadio Edson Arantes do Nascimento Given Pele’s incontrovertible status as a national sporting idol — lock 10 Brazilians in a room and his greatness might just be the only subject upon which they agree — you would logically expect this to have gone down well idiotic and naff,” O Globo columnist Thales Machado called it undercut with an outrage that those behind the project — among them former Brazil striker Bebeto now a politician — clearly failed to envisage There are four main strands to the criticism is deep in the pandemic mire; it seems right to question whether this was an appropriate moment to push the change through it looks like distraction tactics or opportunism A related complaint is that Pele doesn’t really need this tribute there is already an Estadio Rei Pele in Brazil It may be on the modest side — the capacity is around 19,000 — but it has carried his name for over half a century Does any footballer really require two stadiums named after him in the same country That question applies even to someone like Pele it might apply especially to someone like Pele whose legacy is so transcendent that such gestures can seem superfluous No one is downplaying his links with the Maracana It played host to one of his most memorable games for Santos — the home leg of the 1962 Intercontinental Cup against Benfica — and was the setting when he netted his 1,000th career goal There is a plaque at the stadium marking his stunning individual strike in 1961 against Fluminense Pele scored the most beautiful goal in the history of the Maracana,” it reads was the genesis of the phrase “gol de placa” — plaque-worthy goal — which remains part of the Brazilian football lexicon some 60 years later.) the idea of Rio’s sporting epicentre carrying the name of a player who played the vast majority of his football in another state with Santos has struck some as abstruse “His connection with the stadium is weaker than the connections created by Garrincha Roberto Dinamite or Rivellino,” wrote Luis Augusto Simon on the website UOL “If Pele has to have another ground named after him where he performed his magic for decades.” More meaningful is the dismay at the loss of the current name lifted from the neighbourhood where the stadium was built It is the venue’s official title — Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho — that stands to be cast into the dustbin of history Not many sporting arenas are named after journalists he shaped the city of Rio as much as he observed it particularly during his ownership of the now-extinct Jornal dos Sports On the flamingo-pink pages of that newspaper he treated football — the true sport of the masses in his view — with the respect and seriousness it deserved He threw his weight behind new tournaments He sponsored the first-ever parade of samba schools he conjured much of the mythos that surrounds the city’s Flamengo-Fluminense derby out of thin air and cigarette smoke Filho believed that Rio’s bounties — the football “The inventor of the multitudes,” Rodrigues labelled him and it was that populist impulse that drew him into the debate that ended up defining him plans were put forward for a new national stadium in Rio felt that it should be built in Jacarepagua near the endless beaches of Barra da Tijuca in the south of the city He wanted it to be a shrine to the power of the crowd And he wanted it to be bang in the middle of the action metro routes and factories that defined working-class life Lacerda had the clout of being an elected official But Filho had his newspaper and laid out his position in a series of columns entitled The Battle for the Stadium There was only ever going to be one winner: the ground was built in Maracana it is impossible to imagine it being anywhere else Hard to imagine it being called anything else too: although the stadium was originally known as the Estadio Municipal Filho’s name has graced the famous concrete bowl since he died of a heart attack in 1966 This is not just part of the stadium’s origin story Little wonder that Filho’s grandson Mario Neto “It’s a lamentable idea — an act of barbarity,” he said last week “These politicians just want to make money by attracting more tourists They know nothing about who my grandfather was and they are taking his name away with one swish of a pen Ask Bebeto whether he’d like his Mario Filho with ketchup or mustard because he probably thinks it’s a type of burger.” Neto is not the only one to feel that strongly In the background here is the melancholy acceptance that the essence of the old Maracana was lost a decade ago when it was revamped for the 2014 World Cup The two defining features of the stadium — the standing space where the masses once communed and that heart-stoppingly beautiful roof — are nowhere to be seen There are more VIP boxes than you can count And now it is set to lose another of the details that made it unique “The Maracana has suffered a terrible fate in recent times,” historian Luiz Antonio Simas wrote in the Folha de Sao Paulo to the extent that it’s now hard to differentiate the Maracana from the Olympic stadium in Kyiv Now comes the idea of erasing Mario Filho’s name from the memory of the place “The Maracana was the embodiment of a dream of a fraternal country which today seems to be crumbling under the weight of hatred And Mario Filho was the biggest of the dreamers behind it.” Jack Lang is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering football. 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