England vs. Brazil Friendly Will Be Played at Maracana Stadium

Rio de Janeiro's legendary Maracana Stadium is set to be the city's hub for the 2014 World Cup, but there are growing concerns over the building's ability to handle such a large-scale event—especially after a shocking court decision on Thursday.

UPDATE: Thursday, May 30, at 6:46 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

According to Sky Sports, England's game vs. Brazil will go ahead as scheduled once a safety certificate is issued for Maracana Stadium on Friday:

---End of update---

According to a report from the BBC Sport Twitter page, a judicial decision was made to suspend England's highly anticipated friendly with Brazil scheduled for Sunday due to safety concerns at the stadium:

The state government has appealed the decision, leaving hope that this match could go on as planned, per The Sun. 

 State officials have yet to release an official statement on the decision.

In a statement provided to Goal.com, judge Adriana Costa dos Santos said the court was worried about Maracana's ability to provide a safe environment for the match.    

"At this moment we have no news that the restrictions were amended to a level of safety that would be expected at this stage," Dos Santos said. 

Dos Santos continued, blasting the event's organizers for failing to bring the stadium up to standard. 

"Due to the laziness of the people responsible, in this case, the defendants, we cannot allow the stadium to be re-inaugurated without proof that it is safe and hygienic," said Dos Santos.

There is no word on whether the two sides would be able to find a suitable secondary venue for the match. Though with just three days to do so, the odds seem stacked highly against finding a stadium staffed and equipped for a match of such magnitude.

Sunday's clash was arguably the highest-anticipated friendly of the year thus far. Pitting two of the world's most-storied countries against one another, this match was seen as the perfect showcase opportunity for the new-look Maracana Stadium. England is returning to Brazil as a visiting side for the first time in 29 years. 

Though it officially reopened last month, Maracana had not yet hosted a match of such historical proportions and hype.

The legendary stadium, which opened in 1950, had been undergoing strife-filled renovations in preparation for the 2014 World Cup in Rio. There were multiple delays to the reconstruction, a massive undertaking that became a highly-publicized battle between the government and private sector in Brazil.

Earlier this month, a Rio court legalized the privatization of Maracana, holding that suspending concession would do damage to the economy. 

Those weren't the only problems. 

When the Maracana reopened for an exhibition for workers and others, multiple guests reported construction deficiencies throughout the stadium. There were reportedly holes in floors and unfinished walls around the concourse, striking fear into many that the venue would be substandard come 2014. 

With Thursday's ruling potentially having massive implications, it seems organizers should worry about safety first rather than monetization.