The NFL is bringing its Brazil series to a new city this time, and the backdrop for Ravens-Cowboys is one of the most recognizable venues in the world. Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro will host Baltimore and Dallas, marking the league’s third straight season with a game in Brazil after the first two were staged in Sao Paulo.
Maracana is far more familiar as a soccer stage than an NFL one. It sits inside a sprawling sports complex in Rio that includes several volleyball venues, and over the years it has handled an impressive list of events: multiple World Cup matches, the 2016 Rio Olympics, and three Copa America tournaments. The stadium is also scheduled to be part of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The building itself has been around since 1950, and it was originally created with that year’s FIFA World Cup in mind. In fact, the first World Cup match there came just eight days after Maracana hosted its first event of any kind. Since then, it has been renovated three times this century, including a 2013 overhaul geared toward the World Cup.
Today, Maracana says its capacity is 78,838 after renovations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. That number is a long way from the stadium’s past, when it could hold more than 150,000 fans.
Renovations, along with a deadly railing failure in 1992, brought the capacity down to under 80,000 by replacing general bleachers with more seats. Only three NFL stadiums - MetLife Stadium, Lambeau Field and AT&T Stadium - can fit more than 78,000.
The venue is home to Flamengo and Fluminense FC, two clubs that regularly use the stadium for matches in Brazilian Serie A. It has also been the site of World Cup, Olympic and Copa America games, and the 2014 World Cup final between Germany and Argentina was played there.
There has been concern around the field in the buildup to Ravens-Cowboys, though. Soccer players at Maracana have raised alarms about the surface after weeks of rain, and Flamengo’s Giorgian de Arrascaeta said the pitch was “getting worse.”
“With the team we have, we can't be playing on a field like this,” de Arrascaeta said.
The NFL shipped in a tarp to help protect the playing surface, but the league did not take over operations until the week of the game. NFL field director Nick Pappas told the Associated Press that the field is in a “good spot,” and he pointed to the weather the venue has dealt with.
“They've faced some unprecedented weather over the last six weeks or so as far as rainfall goes,” Pappas said. “We've got to have plans in place to ensure that you can mitigate the weather the best you can and, right now, we feel we're in a good spot.”
Pappas also said the league has “no concerns” about the conditions ahead of Sunday’s game.
“For us, it’s been something we’ve been watching and we’ve taken some precautionary measures to support the venue - changes…
The NFL has previously shifted a scheduled Rams-Chiefs game out of Mexico City because of field conditions after heavy rain, but this one stayed put in Rio.
In Other News...
Ravens Brazil Game Just Got An Unexpected Halftime Twist
The Ravens trip to Brazil is getting a bigger spotlight than just the football itself, with Ricky Martin set to headline the halftime show when Baltimore faces the Cowboys. Hell be joined onstage by Brazilian funk star Pedro Sampaio, adding a local flavor to a matchup already notable as part of the NFLs push into an international market.
For Baltimore, its another reminder that this game is being staged as more than a regular-season date on the schedule. Martin brings worldwide recognition and prior NFL halftime experience, while Sampaio gives the event a distinctly Brazilian edge, making the midgame break one more part of a night designed to feel like a showcase. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fans Already Have A Dak Problem Before Rio Kickoff
The NFLs first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro is already drawing attention before kickoff, with the Cowboys and Ravens set to meet at Maracan Stadium in a showcase that feels as much about the setting as the matchup. Players who saw the field came away saying it was very soft, adding an immediate layer of uncertainty to a trip that was supposed to spotlight two of the leagues biggest brands on an international stage.
Off the field, the pregame presentation has also stirred conversation, especially among Cowboys fans who took issue with the caricatures of Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson displayed around the stadium. Prescotts likeness in particular drew plenty of criticism online for how unflattering it looked, giving Dallas supporters something else to gripe about before the football even starts. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Week 1 Opener Suddenly Has A Serious Brazil Problem
The Ravens Week 1 trip to Brazil is drawing some unexpected attention before either team takes the field, and it has nothing to do with travel or atmosphere. The Cowboys-Ravens matchup at Rio de Janeiros Maracana Stadium has sparked concerns about the condition of the playing surface, with league and union officials already weighing in on the work being done to improve traction and stability.
NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter and NFL field director Nick Pappas have both addressed the efforts underway to get the surface ready, underscoring just how closely this one is being watched. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has said he feels confident about playing there, but for Baltimore, the bigger question is whether the field is going to be in acceptable shape by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]