We want to transform the legendary World Cup venue and the third most expensive football stadium in the world into an apartment block

ARCHITECTS hope to convert abandoned stadiums that once hosted World Cup matches into a network of social housing for destitute Brazilians.

The Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha in the capital Brasilia was once the scene of deafening crowds during the most anticipated competition in the country’s history.

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But today the 72,000-seat arena is eerily quiet, sparsely filled for tattoo conventions and culinary events and rarely, if ever, used for soccer games.

The complex was rededicated and renovated at a cost of US$900 million in preparation for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup and also serves as a bus depot.

And it’s still eating up money to this day, costing £132,000 a month to maintain.

However, in recent years, two architects have joined forces to propose a reuse of the stadium to accommodate Brazilians who suffer from deplorable living conditions.

The “Casa Futebol” project proposed converting the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha and other vacant housing into affordable housing.

However, the project has faced significant opposition since its launch, a major shame in a country currently working to address the housing deficit.

“The stadiums are so absurdly big and the housing problems in Brazil are so real” architect Sylvain Macaux told NBC News.

“This is just a concept and an example of what people could do with these stadiums after the World Cup.

“It’s not the only answer, but we think it has real potential.”

In the run-up to his polarized presidential victory, Lula da Silva prioritized lifting millions of Brazilians out of poverty before wresting the keys from populist Jair Bolsonaro.

“We need to prioritize inequality, not the spending cap,” he told reporters at independent websites.

“Brazil needs to bring the poor back into the budget and tax the rich,” he said, pointing to his Labor Party support for taxing corporate profits and dividends.

Lula, 76, ruled Brazil from 2003 to 2010 and his government’s social programs lifted millions of Brazilians out of misery.

Elsewhere, the once-impressive Pontiac Silverdome Stadium sat abandoned for years after hosting several iconic events.

The 82,000-seat venue has hosted some legendary sporting events over the years, including WrestleMania 1987, Super Bowl XVI and part of the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

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