World Cup 1950: The Maracanazo
The story of soccer’s biggest-ever crowd
It took 3,500 workers almost two years to build Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã. The Maracanã (meaning “green bird” or parrot) was named for the river that flows through Rio’s northern barrios. When the huge concrete bowl opened in June 1950, ready for the opening of the fourth World Cup tournament, it was the biggest soccer stadium in the world. And, during the World Cup, it was filled to the brim with the biggest crowd that football has ever seen.
The 1950 World Cup was the first since the end of the Second World War, and the first to feature a British team. Nevertheless, British media coverage of the tournament was sparse, despite the participation of England. (Scotland had also “qualified”, but the Scottish FA declined to participate.) Newspapers relied on short news agency dispatches, and radio provided only brief reports of England’s matches, presented by Charles Buchan, the former England center-forward. There was no British television coverage. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise.
After England’s infamous 0–1 defeat to the USA in Belo Horizonte, the Times of London published a short Reuters report that called the result a “sensation” and described how at the final whistle the 20,000-strong crowd went “wild with enthusiasm”, with many fans rushing from the stands to congratulate the American players and carry them shoulder-high from the pitch, while others waved burning pieces of paper in celebration.
“US Upsets England in World Soccer Tourney,” said the New York Times. “AMERICANS GET OVATION. Fans at Rio de Janeiro Carry Players Off Field.” The fact that the New York Times offered more coverage than the London Times of the 1950 World Cup — with reports published almost every day — was largely due to the interest that surrounded the notable US victory, although the US team lost its next match, against Chile, and was eliminated. But, despite the win in Belo Horizonte, the US remained relatively immune to the contagion of football fandom that had spread over South America and Europe.
British media interest waned further following England’s elimination. The Times of London dedicated only seven lines and fewer than 50 words to the deciding match of the tournament — effectively the World Cup final — between Uruguay and Brazil. (The media missed the fact that there was some British representation in the final — the referee was George Reader, a schoolmaster from Southampton.)
The final match was played on July 16, 1950, at the Maracanã, the design of which incorporated a moat around the oval playing field “to protect players from crowds”. The Maracanã surpassed Scotland’s Hampden Park to become the biggest football ground in the world, and also beat Hampden’s 149,407 attendance world record (set in 1937) after 152,722 fans paid to see Brazil defeat Spain in the previous round.
That record was beaten again at the final when at least 173,850 saw Brazil lose to Uruguay. This was the official attendance figure, although some sources, including those used by Wikipedia, give the attendance as 199,854. It has been estimated that the actual attendance for the decisive final game, taking into account officials, journalists, police, and ticketless fans, was likely in excess of 200,000. But it is the official figure of 173,850 that is recognized by Guinness as the world record (while Hampden Park’s 149,407 remains the British and European record). And there is no dispute whatsoever that the crowd at the 1950 World Cup final was the biggest that football has ever seen.
Tickets for the final match were sold from one of Rio’s biggest department stores and were gone within a few hours, with touts buying them in large blocks. Queues of fans who had missed out became enraged and began to riot, smashing windows and looting the store. This was despite the fact that, due to the huge demand, control of ticket sales had been taken over by Rio’s police. The police did subsequently “swoop” on touts and seize back 14,000 tickets, which were resold at face value to fans.
Brazil were firm favorites to win, and it was reported that their fans, some of whom had written and recorded a “victory samba”, “had not entertained a thought of defeat”. Brazilian newspaper O Mundo had proclaimed Brazil as world champions on the morning before the match was played. And Brazil did take the lead early in the second half, only for Uruguay to hit back with an equalizer and then silence the crowd with a winner, scored by Alcides Ghiggia in the 79th minute.
The result, according to reports, “left the world record crowd of nearly 200,000 Brazilian fans completely dumbfounded and bewildered”. Many fans openly wept, while others were “silent and depressed”. Some fainted, and there were several cases of “fits and hysteria”. The Maracanã’s medical officer said that 169 fans required treatment in the stadium, and six were taken to hospital, three of whom were in critical condition. Away from the ground, it was reported that at least one man — and possibly as many as three — had died from shock while listening to the match on the radio. Overall, according to the New York Times, eight fans died during or after the match.
The shock defeat on home soil, a national humiliation known as the Maracanaço or Maracanazo (“the Maracanã Blow”), became an unshakeable memory for Brazil fans and has endured as an important part of the Brazilian team’s narrative. The team’s “unlucky” white shirts were ditched for Brazil’s now-famous golden jerseys. And the Maracanazo was recalled in detail when Brazil crashed out of another home World Cup, after being thrashed 7–1 by Germany in the 2014 semi-finals. (The 2014 match, played at the Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, is known as the Mineiraço or Mineirazo.)
But the most remarkable aspect of the 1950 World Cup final was the 200,000-strong crowd. Today, the world’s biggest football stadium is thought to be the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, with a claimed capacity of 114,000. Barcelona’s Nou Camp has a capacity of 99,354. Wembley Stadium holds 90,000. Hampden Park holds 51,866. The Maracanã, meanwhile, has recently been rescued after falling into disrepair, having lain dormant since the 2016 Olympics. Its capacity during the Olympics was 78,838 — around 100,000 less than in 1950.
Safety concerns, and a move to all-seater stadiums, combined with increased television coverage — and an increased desire to watch sport on TV rather than in person — mean there will never again be a soccer crowd as big as the one that watched the 1950 World Cup final. It’s difficult for modern fans to imagine what it must have been like to have been part of such a huge football crowd. The nearest we can get is to attend a sold-out match at the Nou Camp, attempt to make sense of that crowd’s size — and then double it. ♦
Paul Brown is the author of Savage Enthusiasm: A History of Football Fans.
Savage Enthusiasm: A History of Football Fans by Paul Brown is available now on Amazon
“An excellent read, rich in anecdotes and explanation” — Game of the People
“A very decent, impeccably sourced, primer on what has happened to fans down the ages” — When Saturday Comes
Thanks for reading! The best way to support my writing and help me write more is to share it with friends and followers. You can also sign up for my newsletter, browse my books, or buy me a coffee. Just click here. — Paul.
