Exchange of experiences before kickoff
With just over a month until the oval ball invades Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã has already set in motion a plan to protect its pitch. The strategy includes a direct consultation with Neo Química Arena, Corinthians' home, which served as the stage for the first NFL game played in Brazilian territory.
The goal is clear: learn from those who have already been through the experience and minimize the damage that an American football game tends to cause to the field.
The lesson left by São Paulo
In September 2024, the São Paulo stadium hosted the clash between Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles, the league's inaugural milestone in the country. Since then, the pitch management of the Corinthians arena has been closely watched by other Brazilian stadiums that dream of hosting events of this kind.
It is precisely this accumulated knowledge — from soil treatment to post-game recovery — that the consortium responsible for Maracanã now seeks to absorb.
The calendar challenge
The duel between Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys, scheduled for September 27, will be the first NFL game at Maracanã. The choice of the Rio stadium, however, runs into an already tight schedule, with frequent commitments for Flamengo and Fluminense in the Brazilian Championship and the Libertadores.
The concern is justified: American football requires specific markings, temporary structures, and the weight of athletes protected by equipment, factors that tend to punish any pitch.
Measures under study
- Constant monitoring of field conditions in the weeks leading up to the event;
- Adjustments to the maintenance schedule to coincide with periods of lower activity;
- Evaluation of replanting techniques and accelerated recovery after the match;
- Technical consultancy from professionals who worked on the São Paulo operation.
Expectations behind the scenes
The exchange of information between Rio and São Paulo is handled with discretion, but it signals that Maracanã wants to avoid past mistakes and deliver a pitch in adequate condition for both the NFL and the subsequent commitments of the Rio clubs.
If the plan works, the stadium can consolidate its name on the route of major international sporting events — without paying too high a price with regard to its main asset: the pitch.