Host a tournament in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro needs three venues: one for the North Zone ground, one for Barra/West, and one for the South Zone. A ground can hold up to 128 amateur teams. The rules, entries and fixture list come from MCC. Operators of futsal courts or small pitches in Rio should read on.
What a Rio venue takes on
A Rio venue makes its courts or pitches available for the matches of one ground, each in a 40-minute slot. Group games take Friday to Sunday on three April weekends, the knockout rounds follow, and the ground's final is on 9 May. With 64 to 128 teams per ground, extra courts on a site ease the schedule.
Areas each Rio ground covers
Zona Norte, including the streets near the Maracanã and the suburban rail line, belongs to the North Zone ground. Barra da Tijuca, Jacarepaguá and the western districts belong to Barra/West. Copacabana, Ipanema, Botafogo and the neighbouring districts belong to the South Zone. Pick the area your site stands in, and check the Rio page for cards showing which ground has a venue.
How to apply
Send the pitch owner application for the area your site stands in. MCC signs an agreement for one venue per ground, and from then on the venue's name is published on the Rio de Janeiro page, where teams registering for that ground can find it.
Questions from Rio venues
Can a club with futsal courts host a ground?
Yes. A sports club or community hall with enough courts and open hours in any of the three areas fits the programme. The question is capacity for 40-minute slots on the fixture weekends, not the size of the club.
Must a South Zone venue be on the beachfront?
No. The South Zone ground covers an area, and a site a few streets back from the sea fits as well as one on the front. Players care most about how quickly they can get there after work.
Which ground would a site in Jacarepaguá apply for?
Barra/West, which covers Barra da Tijuca, Jacarepaguá and the western districts. A site belongs to the area it stands in. Entries and officials are not the venue's concern: teams enter on this site and officials come through the join page.