World Cup countdown - 81 days to go

1 min read 24 March 2014

We take a look back to the last time Brazil hosted sport’s biggest tournament.

We take a look back to the last time Brazil hosted sport-s biggest tournament.

On 24 June 1950, a crowd of just over 81,000 (81,649 to be exact) watched hosts Brazil open the 1950 World Cup against Mexico at the newly built Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.

A double from Ademir plus goals to Jair and Baltazar saw Brazil record a comfortable 4-0 victory. However, Uruguay would spoil the party as they defeated Brazil 2-1 at the same stadium in the match to decide the world champions. For that game, the crowd figure was recorded at 173,850.

For the 2014 World Cup, the stadium will host seven games including the Final.

The final chance to see the Socceroos on home soil before they head to Brazil 2014 will be when they take on South Africa in a farewell game on May 26 in Sydney. Tickets for the match, presented by NAB, are on sale now. Click here to secure yours.