Just months after the 2016 Rio Olympics came to a close, the stadium at the center of the Games "has fallen into a 'state of abandonment' and disrepair," according to Travis Waldron of the HUFFINGTON POST. Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported the
Maracanã, a "national icon" since its construction for the 1950 World Cup, underwent a $600M renovation in preparation for the 2014 World Cup final and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics. Now, "spotty patches of burned-out turf mark its fields, food from the last major event it hosted litters the stands, and as many as 7,000 stadium seats are missing."
The "smell of mold is noticeable" inside the Maracanã, O Globo said, and numerous cats roam the stadium’s grounds. Destroyed and unmaintained furniture, holes in the walls and exposed wires "are all visible, and the stadium suffers from electrical outages."
Rio’s state government and the consortium of private companies that took over the Maracanã after the Olympics said that they are "not responsible for maintaining it, and blame the Rio 2016 organizing committee for its current state" (HUFFINGTON POST, 1/5).
