Maracanã Stadium

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Lore & Background

The Maracanã was the site of the deciding match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, where Uruguay defeated the host nation, Brazil, in the four-team group of the final round. This result is sometimes known as one of the biggest upsets in football history, occasionally called the Maracanaço. This was the only tournament not decided by a one-match final, as the 1974 and 1978 editions each had a single final match. It was also the inaugural tournament where the trophy was referred to as the Jules Rimet Cup, to mark the 25th anniversary of Jules Rimet's presidency of FIFA. The 1950 tournament was the first World Cup held during the Cold War. Italy, the two-time defending champions, were eliminated in the first round for the first time in history.

In Their Own Story

The 1950 tournament was at risk of not being held for sheer lack of interest from the international community, until Brazil presented a bid at the 1946 FIFA Congress, offering to host the event on condition that the tournament take place in 1950 rather than the originally proposed year of 1949. Brazil and Germany had been the leading bidders to host the cancelled 1942 World Cup. Brazil's new bid was very similar to the mooted 1942 bid and was quickly accepted. A new playing format was proposed by the Brazilian organisers to maximise matches and ticket sales since the stadiums and infrastructure had been so costly. The thirteen teams were divided into four first-round groups, with the winner of each group advancing to a final group stage, playing in round-robin format to determine the cup winner. FIFA originally resisted this proposal, but reconsidered when Brazil threatened to back out of hosting the tournament if this format was not used.

Reader's Guide

The Maracanã was one of the venues for the 1950 World Cup. Brazil was allowed to play two of its three group matches in Rio de Janeiro while its other group game was held in the relatively nearby city of São Paulo. The tournament featured only thirteen teams, with just three nations in Group 3 and two nations in Group 4. Of the thirteen teams that competed, only one, England, was making its debut. Several of the teams from the Americas were competing for the first time since the inaugural 1930 tournament, including Uruguay, Mexico, Chile, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Yugoslavia was also making its first appearance since 1930. Spain and the United States qualified for the first time since 1934.

Did You Know?

• The 1950 World Cup was the first tournament held during the Cold War.
• Italy, the two-time defending champions, were eliminated in the first round for the first time in history at the 1950 World Cup.
• The 1950 tournament was the only World Cup not decided by a one-match final.
• This was the inaugural tournament where the trophy was referred to as the Jules Rimet Cup.
• Brazil's bid to host the 1950 World Cup was very similar to its mooted bid for the cancelled 1942 tournament.