Which stadium hosted the 1950 World Cup match with the record attendance?

The 1950 World Cup match with the record attendance was hosted at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Uruguay defeated Brazil 2–1 there before an officially recorded crowd of 173,850.

The match took place on July 16, 1950, in the decisive final-round fixture of a tournament that did not use a one-off final. Brazil entered the game needing only a draw to finish first, while Uruguay had to win. Brazil took the lead through Friaça, but Juan Alberto Schiaffino equalised and Alcides Ghiggia scored the winner.

The enormous crowd and Brazil’s dramatic collapse gave the match its enduring name, the Maracanazo, or “Maracanaço.” Contemporary estimates sometimes suggested that more than 200,000 people were present, but 173,850 is the official attendance figure generally used in World Cup records.

Maracanã was purpose-built for the 1950 tournament and was then one of the world’s largest football grounds. The match is often called a final, but technically it was the last game of the final group stage.