22 Ambitious Stadiums Left Behind by the Future They Were Built For

3. Estadio Nacional (Brazil) – The $900 Million White Elephant

Rebuilt for Brazil’s 2014 World Cup, Estadio Nacional was meant to be a futuristic stadium for a thriving football culture. Instead, it became a symbol of government overspending. With a staggering $900 million price tag, it is one of the most expensive stadiums ever built—but Brazil’s capital doesn’t even have a top-tier football team to use it! After the World Cup, the stadium was mostly abandoned, with its massive structure serving as a parking lot for government vehicles rather than the sports hub it was meant to be. Opened: 1974 | Rebuilt for the 2014 FIFA World Cup | Mostly Abandoned: 2015