Rio 2016 mascot Vinicius pictured in front of the Arena da Amazônia in Manaus ©Rio 2016

A contract has been signed to allow the northern city of Manaus to stage six football matches during next summer's Olympic Games.

Four male and three female football matches are scheduled for August 4, 7 and 9 at the same Arena da Amazônia which hosted four matches at last year's FIFA World Cup, including Italy's 2-1 victory over England. 

Two "Live Sites" are also due to be set up nearby in Ponta Negra and Largo São Sebastião to allow fans without tickets to watch matches.

This was confirmed in a signing ceremony attended by the City Mayor Arthur Neto and Amazonas State Governor José Melo as well as International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president Nawal El Moutawakel.

Nawal El Mouwatakel speaking alongside local officials during the Ceremony in Manaus ©Facebook
Nawal El Mouwatakel speaking alongside local officials during the Ceremony in Manaus ©Facebook

After performances by several acts, including the Philharmonic Orchestra of Amazonas and singer Márcia Siqueira, who performed alongside Olympic mascot Vinicius, the agreement was signed at the iconic Amazonas Theatre in the heart of the city.

Manaus has "shown to the world that it is a city that loves the sport, loves the Olympic movement and is a city is ready to host the Games," declared Morrocco's El Moutawakel, also head of the IOC Coordination Commission for Rio 2016.

Manaus is one of five cities outside Rio set to host matches during the Games, along with Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador and São Paulo, while both the Maracanã and Olympic Stadiums in Rio de Janeiro will be used. 

The Arena da Amazônia hosted four matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, including Italy's game against England
The Arena da Amazônia hosted four matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, including Italy's against England ©Getty Images

Initial concerns were raised by football's world governing body FIFA, who said they did not consider the city a "suitable first option for a hosting venue" due to its distance over 2,800 kilometres away from Rio de Janeiro.

They later backed down, with Manaus included among the list of final cities submitted in March prior to this official confirmation.

A process to select volunteers to work at the stadium, training venues, airport and hotels is now beginning, with some of these to be recruited locally through a programme run by the City Goverment.

Applications will close on September 13, with more information available here.



Related stories
March 2015: FIFA backs down over Manaus becoming Rio 2016 Olympic football venue
February 2015: FIFA and Rio 2016 at odds over use of Manaus for Olympic football matches
February 2015: Teams facing long journey at Rio 2016 after Manuas added to prospective football venues