FIFA's Organising Committee confirmed Manaus as a host city for soccer action at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
There were concerns in Brazil about the 41,000-capacity Amazonia Arena becoming a 'white elephant' due to the lack of a top-flight football club in Manaus to utilize it. The arena was built for the 2014 World Cup at a cost of $270 million.
Initially, FIFA expressed opposition to staging matches 3000km away from the host city. However, they reconsidered due to concerns about the condition of pitches in Rio and other World Cup venues, including Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo, and Salvador, after multiple uses in the early rounds.
'The Olympic Football Tournaments will be a fantastic opportunity to revive the great atmosphere seen during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, not only in Rio de Janeiro but also in the other five cities,' said Marco Polo Del Nero, chairman of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Football Tournaments.
Del Nero, who will assume the presidency of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) next month, views the Games as an opportunity to utilize the World Cup infrastructure 'to unite the country for a major event once more.' He added, 'I am confident that the participating teams will have an unforgettable Olympic experience.'
Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman stated, 'The inclusion of Manaus in the Rio 2016 Olympic schedule will enrich the tournament with a visit of the football players to one of the most iconic locations in the world.'
The 58-match football tournament will be held at seven stadiums in six cities, including Rio's Olympic stadium and the Maracana. The women's qualifiers begin on August 3, followed by the men's action the next day.
