How To Buy Flamengo Tickets For The Maracaná Stadium

There are many things we love about Brazil. The food, the beaches, the amazing landscapes. Not to mention the vibrancy of its people, manifesting in the rhythms of samba, bossa nova and forró.

But for us, as Brits, watching football (or futebol as it’s known here) at the Maracaná Stadium is right up there with some of the country’s best experiences. And being based around Rio de Janeiro has given us the opportunity to go to the games as local fans do – albeit without the fierce passion on plentiful display from true local supporters.

There are actually four top-flight teams based in Rio de Janeiro – Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco de Gama. Of those, the first two teams share the Maracaná Stadium and typically play there on alternate weekends during the main Serie A season (April till December).

All four have a rich history, but it’s Flamengo who have the largest support, stretching well beyond Rio. Which means that, for the casual visitor, watching Flamengo play at the iconic Maracaná is about as good as it gets in terms of atmosphere and limitless passion.

In this post, we’ll show you how to get tickets. And, in our next post, we’ll describe what the electrifying match day experience is like.

About Flamengo

Flamengo – or Clube de Regatas do Flamengo – actually started life as a rowing club in 1895. At that time, rowing was the dominant sport in Rio, football being a mere distraction. But, with the dawn of the 20th century, the game grew in popularity. And, in 1911, after a group of disgruntled players joined from Fluminense FC, the football side of the now multi-sport club was established.

The intense rivalry between the two teams was established as Fluminense FC were associated with elite Rio society, whereas Flamengo (as a breakaway club) attracted working class supporters.

Playing in their iconic red and black hooped shirts, the rubro-negra have since become the biggest club in Brazil, culminating in their crowning glory when beating Liverpool 3-0 in 1981’s Intercontinental Cup (which before the days of the bloated FIFA World Club Cup was played between the previous season’s winners of the European Cup and South America’s Copa Libertadores, in a one-off final). A win inspired by one of the world’s greatest ever players in Arthur Antunes Coimbra – aka Zico.

Being an Everton fan (and therefore a rival of Liverpool’s) I remember watching highlights of the game late at night via a dodgy satellite feed on (I think) the BBC. It was the first time I’d ever heard of Flamengo. But I was so mesmerised by the way they dismantled Liverpool that they’ve held an almost mythical fascination for me ever since.

The Maracana Stadium

Officially known as Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, (“Maracaná” is its nickname derived from a nearby river of the same name), it’s probably the world’s most iconic football stadium, with the possible exception of Wembley in England.

Constructed in time for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, it managed to pack in a mind-boggling 173,850 supporters for that tournament’s ultimate game – which still stands today as a world record attendance for a football match.

Of course, that was back in the days when standing in stadiums was the norm. Nowadays, the all-seater version holds nearer 73,000. Not that many supporters bother staying in their seats while the game is on, however. But a floodlit Maracaná filled with expectant, boisterous, flag-waving fans remains an intimidating bear pit of a place for visiting teams.

How to buy tickets

First of all, don’t expect to receive a physical ticket for a game. Entry to the Maracaná is handled by clever face recognition software at the turnstile. Which means that before buying a ticket, you need to register and upload a portrait photograph of yourself to Flamengo’s biometrics page on their website.

Any tickets you buy are then connected to your photograph, which is in turn recognised at the turnstile by the software. Unless, of course, you’re as useless as me and somehow manage to upload a photograph of your partner instead – cue lots of explaining and pleading to sympathetic turnstile stewards who eventually allow me inside.

Here’s how to do do it online (spoiler alert – it can be far from straightforward):

Firstly, go to the dedicated biometrics page and add your country of origin, full name, passport number and date of birth. You’ll then be directed to a page where you can upload a photograph of your face via a QR code. Unless you follow the instructions carefully you might have to upload more than one photo (looking straight ahead, neutral expression, good lighting etc).

All being well, you’ll capture the right image at the first attempt and you’ll receive a “congratulations” message to show that your biometrics (face-recognition details) are set up.

Biometrics aside, there are four options to buy tickets:

1 Via the official website

First, you’ll need to register on the dedicated ticketing page (this is separate to registering for the biometrics). As part of the registering process you’ll be prompted to provide a “CPF”, which is a unique tax identification number for Brazilians. However, in the dropdown menu you can select “Passport” as an option instead.

You will also need to provide a Brazilian address as there is no option for addresses outside of the country. I simply used my accommodation details in Rio.

Once you’re registered and logged in, the page will display the upcoming games with details of ticket options and when they are available to buy. After club members have had a few days to buy their tickets, those on general sale become available three or four days before the game. You can find out exactly when by clicking or tapping the Informações button.

You will also be updated on the availability of tickets via another button, which will be marked either em breve (available soon), comprar (buy now) or esgocardo (sold out).

If it’s showing, select the comprar button, after which you can choose which part of the stadium you want your tickets for, along with the price. Select the section you want, along with the number of tickets (normally up to a maximum of three), then select comprar (buy).

On the next page, you need to select if your ticket is full price (inteira) or half price (meia entrada). If you’re over the age of 60 you qualify for half price but I can’t confirm at this point how you can prove that.

Then select the adicionar dados no ingresso button, which will launch a pop-up for you to enter your personal details – full name, passport number and date of birth. You’ll need to do this for each ticket you’ve bought and confirm via the adicionar dados (add data) button.

Next, select the ir para pagamento button to go through to the payment page. A credit card should be fine, although the system seemed to crash on me when I tried to use my card for the in-demand Flamengo v Fluminense game.

Once you’ve paid you’ll receive a confirmation email, but no actual ticket. In effect, your “ticket” is your face as it’s all you need when you arrive at the turnstile. As long as you’ve uploaded the correct photograph!

If my experience is anything to go by, you’ll need some patience to see it through. But it’s the easiest and quickest way to buy your ticket if everything’s working.

Best of luck!

2 At the Flamengo Club in Gávea

If you prefer buying tickets the old school way you can also go along to the Flamengo club box office in Gávea (Av. Borges de Medeiros, 997 – Gávea, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22430-041). Once again, you’ll need to wait until they are on general sale. And you’ll need to take along your original passport (no copies).

If you haven’t already done so, your face-recognition biometrics can be done there and then, too.

3 At the Maracaná ticket office

If you haven’t managed to buy your tickets in advance, you can also register your biometrics and buy your tickets at the Maracaná Stadium box office (at Gate 1) on the day of the game. Be prepared for queues, though. Especially for the “big” games.

If you haven’t already done so, your face-recognition biometrics can be done there and then, too.

4 Through a third party (with a guide)

If all else fails – or you’d prefer to have everything taken care of (including ticket, biometrics, transportation and an English-speaking guide) – you might consider buying your ticket through a local agency. After my failed attempt to buy Fla-Flu tickets online, I did just that by booking with a guide who’d been recommended through a local Facebook group.

And Rafa, who was fluent in English, was excellent. I was actually part of a group of ten English speakers, which is an added advantage for someone who’s on their own. And, if safety is of particular concern (the area around the Maracaná IS edgy) then this might be a better option for you.

Yes, it’s more expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Getting there

The best two options are via the metro or to simply take an Uber ride.

Maracaná’s metro station is on Line 2 and is the most popular way for fans to arrive. We’ve not tried it out as we’re always based in Niteroí, from where there’s no metro or bus connection.

Instead, we always opt for an Uber, which is a phenomenally cheap way to get around Rio at any time. Just be mindful that the closer it gets to kick-off time, the more congested the roads around the stadium – including the potential for certain access roads being blocked off. So allow plenty of time (arrive at least an hour before kick-off).

And, if you’ve already bought your ticket, make sure you let the Uber driver know which gate you need so that he/she can drop you off at the nearest point.

After the game you’ll find that some of the roads around the ground will be closed off to traffic, so you’ll need to make your way to the nearest main thoroughfare to book your return journey. As we usually sit in the “Leste” (East) section, we exit onto Avenida Maracaná, then turn right until we reach Rua São Francisco Xavier. But you can reach alternative sections of that road from other stadium exits points, too.

Three suggested walking routes to Rua São Francisco Xavier and Uber pickup points

Buses are another option but are less efficient than the metro. And they’re generally considered less safe at night, so if you’re going to an evening match you’d be wise to avoid them.

Is it safe to go without a guide?

With the usual caveats about taking safety precautions in Rio, it’s perfectly safe to go to a game independently. Especially if you blend in by wearing Flamengo’s colours. Don’t worry if you’ve not managed to buy a shirt or hat beforehand – there are plenty of vendors outside the ground selling cheap merchandise. Or you can buy authentic gear once you’re inside.

Bear in mind that 99% of all supporters will be wearing the red and black of Flamengo. So if you do the same, you won’t look out of place. Just don’t go wandering off along quiet and dark streets after the game – either head straight for the metro or the main road back to Rio’s centre if you’re using Uber.

How to buy Fluminense tickets

Unlike Flamengo’s official site, Fluminense’s doesn’t seem to be foreigner-friendly as you need a CPF to register (there’s no option to enter your passport number). As a result, you’ll need to buy your tickets at the stadium box office or use a third party, such as the one I used with Rafa.

Final thoughts

Even if you’re not a futebol fan and aren’t remotely interested in the pros and cons of the offside rule, you’d be missing out on a treat if you don’t try to include a visit to the Maracaná to watch a game (assuming you’re in Rio between April and December).

It might be something of a cliché to say that Brazilians live and breathe football, but when you witness the intensity inside the stadium on match day it’s hard to argue otherwise.

Having been lucky enough to spend the best part of nine months in neighbouring Niteroi (over several visits), we’ve managed to watch both Flamengo and Fluminense play on several occasions. On each occasion the atmosphere has been electric.

And, in our next post, we’ll describe what the experience is like.

In the meantime do yourself a favour, book a match ticket, buy a replica shirt and become a Flamengo (or Fluminense) fan for a day!