Ten out of 10 soccer aficionados secretly dream of seeing their team play the final match of a championship at Maracanã, considered one of the world temples of this sport
Quadras no Aterro do Flamengo: Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, s/nº
Aterro do Flamengo sports courts
Games on the sports courts in Aterro do Flamengo take place all day long, but the best matches take place late at night. It’s a good option to watch the matches while enjoying the view.
Hotel Paysandu
One of the biggest disgraces in Brazilian soccer was losing the 1950 World Cup to Uruguay. The team of Ghiggia, who scored the goal that silenced the Maracanã, stayed at this hotel, a symbol for Uruguayans. Rumor has it that after the game, the former captain of the “celestial blue,” Obdulio Varela, stopped by a bar and cried with Brazilians as he realized the dimension of the defeat. Nearby, you’ll find the bar Garota do Flamengo, where you can reminisce about “Maracanazo.”
Close to the famous Copacabana Beach, where people play footvolley, this bar celebrates the 1970 World Cup, when Brazil was world champion for the third time.
Bar México 70: Rua Djalma Ulrich, 23
Avenida República do Paraguai
Around this avenue that crosses the center of Rio, you’ll find some of the city’s main tourist attractions: Confeitaria Colombo, Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, Escadaria Selarón, Catedral Metropolitana, Arcos da Lapa, Fundição Progresso, and Cinelândia.
Avenida República do Paraguai: Avenida República do Paraguai, s/nº
4 pm – Maracanã stadium
June 16 - Paraguay X Qatar
Eating at the stadium
The soccer fan food of choice in the bleachers is the same at the beach: biscoito de polvilho (a cassava starch pretzel) with a side of cold mate.
