Flamengo may give up on their own stadium to buy the Maracanã

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Coluna do Fla

·23 October 2025

Flamengo may give up on their own stadium to buy the Maracanã

Maracanã is currently managed by Flamengo and Fluminense

Flamengo and Fluminense are in charge of the Maracanã concession for the next 20 years. However, a new development might change the situation. After all, the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio (Alerj) has placed the stadium on the list of properties that the State Government of Rio de Janeiro intends to sell to settle part of the debt with the Union.

However, the situation is not yet definitive, as the project needs to be voted on in the Alerj plenary, where it may receive new amendments. With Flamengo and Fluminense managing the Maracanã, the commission understands that the Sacred Temple is costly for the State of Rio de Janeiro. It is estimated that the stadium would cost R$ 2 billion.

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WHAT DOES THE ALERJ COMMISSION SAY?

— The government pays fortunes for the maintenance of the Maracanã Complex, around R$ 1 million per match. Meanwhile, the Maracanã Village, with 14,000 square meters, is in a precarious situation and without a defined social use — said Deputy Rodrigo Amorim, president of the commission.

— Every time the Maracanã opens for a game, whatever it may be, it costs close to 1 million reais for the event to happen. And it makes no sense for us to have a white elephant that the state continues to fund. Either sell the Maracanã, or make a longer concession, in short, something has to be done. There is a request from part of society for the inclusion of the Maracanã, so that some commercial transaction can be made there — he added.

WHAT ARE THE RULES OF THE MARACANÃ CONCESSION FOR THE FLA-FLU DUO?

Flamengo and Fluminense agreed on the Maracanã concession for 20 years last September. In the agreement, the clubs promised to invest R$ 186 million in the space during this period. On the other hand, the State Government will have to contribute R$ 20 million.

However, the Government's need to pay off the debt makes the State seek new ways to generate money. Therefore, the agency intends to raise funds for future adherence to the State Debt Full Payment Program (Propag), which allows states to use public assets to offset debts with the federal government.

According to the 2026 Budget Law forecast, Rio de Janeiro is expected to pay R$ 12.3 billion next year just in debt service. Thus, the future of Maracanã promises to have new chapters in the near future. Flamengo remains vigilant.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.