Less than a year after it hosted the World Cup, Brasilia’s £375 million football stadium is being used as council offices, as parking for buses and for concerts and group weddings.

The Mané Garrincha is one of four expensive arenas built in cities that have only minor league teams, and whose exorbitant cost provoked nationwide street protests.

The famous “Indian basket” stadium in the Amazonian city of Manaus, where England lost their inaugural match to Italy, has not fared much better. Though building it cost less than half that of Brasilia’s stadium, it costs more to run and has hosted only a few football matches and concerts. There has been talk among local officials of using it as a jail.

Not only were the