Maracanã set for R$2.5m revamp before 2027 Women's World Cup | OneFootball

Rio government and Fla-Flu Consortium negotiate deal to modernize the stadium’s Honor Stand; company will get use of a luxury box as compensation

The Maracanã will undergo new work before the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro and the Fla-Flu Consortium, formed by Flamengo and Fluminense, are negotiating a renovation of the stadium’s Honor Stand. The project is estimated to cost R$ 2.5 million.

Under the agreement under discussion, the Fla-Flu Consortium will take on the cost of the work. In return, the Rio government will allow the company to commercially operate, for two years, one of the luxury boxes owned by the state.

In addition, the government has already drafted an amendment to the Maracanã concession contract to set the conditions for the intervention. The state considers the modernization necessary in light of major international sporting events, especially those linked to FIFA and the NFL.

The renovation aims to bring the space in line with current standards of accessibility, safety, comfort, functionality, and hospitality. This way, the Honor Stand will be able to meet the requirements for hosting authorities and guests during major events.

WHY DOES THE MARACANÃ NEED THE RENOVATION?

The Rio government has the right to exclusively use the Honor Stand and seven luxury boxes located in the west section of the Maracanã. They are: 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, and 330. However, the state faces budget restrictions because of the Fiscal Recovery regime. Therefore, the government intends to temporarily hand over luxury box 330 to the Fla-Flu Consortium as part of the negotiation to make the renovation feasible.

Meanwhile, FIFA is also evaluating adjustments needed at the Maracanã for the Women’s World Cup. The organization has set requirements for the stadiums and other spaces that will host delegations during the tournament.

In this scenario, the Rio government intends to hire a company to analyze the stadium’s needs and calculate the costs of possible interventions. According to the plan, part of the work will have low impact, and some changes may be used only during the World Cup.

MARACANÃ WILL HOST 9 MATCHES AT THE 2027 WORLD CUP

The Maracanã will be one of the main venues of the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The stadium will host nine matches in the tournament, including the opening match and the grand final. Because of this, FIFA wants control of the stadium 28 days in advance to prepare the site. The Fla-Flu Consortium, on the other hand, argues for a shorter handover period and is working with the possibility of releasing the stadium for half that time.

Thus, the Rio government, FIFA, and the Fla-Flu Consortium are holding meetings to try to reach an agreement on the Maracanã usage schedule. In addition, Brazilian football will have a break between June 24 and July 25, 2027 because of the women’s competition. Therefore, the national calendar will also need to adapt to the World Cup period.

HOW MUCH WILL THE HONOR STAND RENOVATION COST?

The Fla-Flu Consortium received three proposals to carry out the modernization of the Honor Stand. Among the options reviewed, management chose the proposal submitted by Solutions World. The company set a 45-day deadline to complete the service, at a cost of more than R$ 2.4 million. NovaRio submitted a lower bid, but set a deadline of 90 business days for the work.

Tottus Engenharia, meanwhile, submitted the most expensive proposal. The company estimated nearly R$ 4 million to carry out the project and gave a deadline of 105 business days. This way, the Fla-Flu Consortium chose the option that combines the shortest execution time with an investment within the estimated budget set for the renovation.

MARACANÃ WILL ALSO HAVE RESTAURANTS AND A MUSEUM

The renovation of the Honor Stand will not be the only new development at the Maracanã. The stadium’s management is also developing the Maracanã 360 project, which calls for the creation of a food and dining hub on the fifth floor. The space will have restaurants overlooking the pitch and will receive an initial investment of more than R$ 20 million. The forecast points to completion of the work by the end of 2026.

In addition, another major project is in the stadium’s plans: the Football Museum. The initiative is part of the obligations set out in the Maracanã concession and is expected to receive approximately R$ 40 million in investments.

However, the museum is expected to open only in 2027. Thus, the Maracanã is moving toward a series of structural and commercial changes before becoming one of the main hubs of the Women’s World Cup.

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