1 5 th INTERNATIONAL PLANNING HISTORY SOCIETY CONFERENCE A “NATİON-STADİUM” UNDER CONSTRUCTİON: DİSCURSİVE STRUGGLES ON THE RİO DE JANEİRO’S PREPARATİON FOR THE 1950 WORLD CUP ERICK OMENA Address: Av. Pedro Calmon, 550, sala 537, 5º andar - Ilha do Fundão. Cep 21941901 – Rio de Janeiro, RJ e-mail:
[email protected] ABSTRACT This article is motivated by the possibility of collaborating on historiography concerned with conflicts around global sports events, especially on Rio de Janeiro’s preparation for the 1950 Football World Cup and the construction of its most iconic project: the Maracanã stadium. Based on previous studies, this work specifically intends to answer two questions: what were the main conflicts over the construction of such stadium? And what representations of the Brazilian nation did underpin those struggles? Methodology is based on data collection from the main newspapers devoted to the subject at that time combined with proper literature in order to identify the dominant discourses around this issue and their characteristics. It is considered the period between 1946, when Brazil is officially chosen by FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) to host the event, and mid-1950, just before the start of the competition. INTRODUCTION Over the past years the Brazilian government has made increasing efforts to consolidate the country as an international mega-event host, following a trend found in other semi-peripheral nations. After several attempts, the representatives of Rio de Janeiro were finally awarded the right to organize the 2007 Pan-American games, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. Despite the recent wave of events, it does not mean that this is the first time Brazil and Rio de Janeiro have been involved in the task of hosting international sports events.