Rio 2016 Olympics: Opening Ceremony TV Schedule and Predictions

A journey that has taken months will come to end on Friday when the Olympic torch reaches the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to start the 2016 Summer Games. 

That torch, which was lit in Greece and made its way all the way to Brazil, will be the guest of honor at the opening ceremony, as eyes around the world will be fixed on the South American country for the next two weeks. 

Here is how you can watch the ceremonies from home:

Date	Time (ET)	TV
Friday, August 5	7 p.m.	NBC

Predictions

Who Will Light the Torch: Pele

In terms of Brazilian athletes, few are bigger than Pele. Before an Argentinian named Lionel Messi captivated the soccer world, Pele was considered by the majority as the greatest player to ever put on a pair of boots. 

He won three World Cups for Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970, helping the country develop into the soccer world superpower that it is today:

While Olympic gold medal is not in Brazil's trophy case, but it has been the runner-up five times. That had the 75-year-old Pele jokingly hinting at a comeback back in April, per Peter Staunton of Goal:

"

The only title Brazil doesn't have is the Olympic tournament champion. The only tournament I never played because I was professional was the Olympics. Now, we're going have the Olympics in Brazil.

I think I'm going to prepare to play this Olympics. Maybe I'll win this championship for Brazil. In five months, I have to be prepared for that!

"

While he might not meet the age requirements for participating in the Olympics, Pele did play a part in getting the Games to his home country. He was in Copenhagen, Denmark, lobbying alongside then-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2009 when Brazil beat out Madrid to host the Olympics. 

According to Mauricio Savarese of the Associated Press, Pele disclosed on Wednesday that he was invited to light the cauldron, but sponsorship deals could block him from doing it.

It's the first time that a South American country is hosting the Games, and it's only fitting that its biggest name does the honor of signaling the start of such a hallowed sporting event.