The Baltimore Ravens’ 34-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys was nothing short of a thriller movie with a last-moment twist to raise the stakes. While the players did their best to entertain the crowd, Brazil didn’t disappoint with its hospitality and atmosphere inside Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
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“I thought the game, the atmosphere of the game, the music, the anthem, the different songs, the fans were singing. There was a lot of dancing. I don’t know if they knew anything about football,” general manager Eric DeCosta said on the Ryan Ripken Show. “But they know how to party. And there was a lot of dancing and a lot of PDA. Lot of PDA in the stands. It was a lot of fun.
“I wasn’t watching the dance moves. I was watching the game. But it was pointed out to me that there were some things in the stadium that were interesting. But I wasn’t watching. I was focused on the offensive line and the defensive line and all the dynamics. Not as much on what was going on in the stadium.”
Despite it being the very first NFL regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro, a crowd of 72,792 fans gathered in the stands to cheer for the players. In a land where the FIFA World Cup has more popularity than the NFL, the crowd was certainly a bit too lively. According to the league, over 88% of ticket buyers were Brazilian, and fans wore jerseys of different teams, too, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The energy went even higher at halftime as Ricky Martin and DJ Pedro Sampaio took the stage to entertain the crowd.
The game was a hit on the screens, too. The CBS broadcast averaged 24.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched NFL international game in history.
The Brazilian crowd also impressed Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
“I never imagined playing in Brazil,” Jones told Valor International following the game. “The energy involved, the interest in sports and the uniqueness of the NFL make Brazilians do extraordinary things.
“I like the time zone; it is compatible with our game times [in the U.S.]. I want the Cowboys to be part of this culture as Brazilians broaden their sporting interests.”
Quarterback Lamar Jackson too expressed his admiration for the crowd.
“It was a great experience for us to be here,” Jackson said. “I’ve never been to Brazil before and for us to have fans here and people be coming, pulling up to the hotel like going crazy. Bro, that was like so amazing to me. Man, shout out to Brazil again.”
Entering the game, there was a lot of chatter around the quality of the field, after concerns were raised by soccer club players. The field was reportedly very bumpy, and the excess rain had also complicated the picture. Cowboys players dropped by the stadium and tested out the field by walking on it. The game went ahead as planned, without much trouble from the field.
The stadium has hosted the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in the past, too. However, with the Dallas-Baltimore game, it is clear that American football is a hit with fans.
The NFL’s debut in Rio de Janeiro delivered exactly what it promised. A thrilling game that witnessed a clutch victory for the Ravens, paired with a crowd filled with party energy: what else could the league have asked for!