Court Orders Maracanã Open for Vasco v Boca Juniors Semifinal

Overview

• The Tribunal de Justiça do Rio de Janeiro granted an urgent injunction on Friday directing Fla‑Flu Serviços S.A. to make the Maracanã available for Vasco’s Copa Sul‑Americana semifinal against Boca Juniors on October 20.
• CONMEBOL set a venue deadline through Saturday for Vasco to formalize the stadium and has indicated the Estádio Nilton Santos as the likely backup if the Maracanã is not confirmed.
• The ruling relied on technical input from the Polícia Militar and a recommendation from the Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro that emphasized crowd capacity, mobility and surrounding security over concerns about the pitch.
• Fla‑Flu had refused permission citing the grass condition and calendar conflicts, the state government says it respects judicial rulings and has asked the concessionaire for clarifications while leaving open a consensual solution.
• Next steps include formalizing the venue with CONMEBOL, operational planning or court enforcement of the injunction, and the possibility of an appeal by the concessionaire that could affect logistics and fan travel plans.