28 Forgotten Stadium Grounds Around The World Left Abandoned

8. Olympic Aquatics Stadium – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro was built specifically for the 2016 Summer Olympics and served as the primary venue for swimming and water polo competitions. With a capacity of 18,000, it hosted world-class athletes and witnessed thrilling moments of Olympic history. However, unlike some of Rio’s other Olympic venues, this stadium was never intended to be a permanent structure. Following the conclusion of the Games, the stadium was supposed to be dismantled and repurposed into smaller community swimming facilities. However, due to mismanagement and financial difficulties, these plans never materialized. Instead, the Olympic Aquatics Stadium has been left to decay, with rusting metal frames, collapsed seating areas, and stagnant water accumulating in what were once pristine competition pools. The venue’s rapid decline has become symbolic of Rio’s struggles with maintaining its Olympic legacy. Today, the stadium is fenced off and inaccessible to the public, standing as a haunting reminder of the billions spent on Olympic infrastructure that was ultimately left to rot.