Maracanã pitch refurbished as Flamengo v Vasco set for Wednesday in Campeonato Carioca | OneFootball

Maintenance of the Maracanã pitch has been completed, and Flamengo v Vasco will be played on the renewed surface at 21:30 on Wednesday in the third round of the Campeonato Carioca. It is the first Rio derby of the year.

According to Globo.com, work began straight after the Jogo das Estrelas, led by Zico on 27 December, with the maintenance team first scraping the surface, then promoting regrowth of the grass.

The refurbishment removed excess vegetative matter, cutting around one centimetre from the layer beneath the turf. This is intended to enhance the hybrid system and provide greater stability with the addition of new sand.

The final stage focused on stimulating fresh leaf growth, improving the visual aspect of the pitch.

The Maracanã surface has faced criticism in recent years. It hosted 73 matches during 2025.

Source: Globo.com