Touchdown Theory
← Stadiums

Maracana Stadium

Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNeutral site

A neutral-site venue where the league plays abroad. There is no home team here, and the environment is unlike any domestic stadium.

Playing conditions

Roof
Open air

Fully exposed to wind, cold, and rain.

Elevation
33 ft

Low elevation, with no meaningful altitude effect.

The venue

Capacity78,838
Opened1950
Time zoneBrasilia
FormerlyEstadio Municipal, Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho

How this venue plays

This is an open-air venue, so the game is exposed to its environment and the forecast is part of the projection. Wind is the largest single effect, pulling down the passing and kicking games; cold suppresses offense more gradually; and rain shows up mostly in ball security and play calling.

The measured effect of these conditions on a specific game appears alongside that game once the season is live.