Legendary soccer player Pelé was invited to light up the Olympic flame during the ceremony, but had to decline due to health issues. The honour was given to Marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima instead. Lima was leading the Athens 2004 Olympic marathon at the 35 km mark, when a deranged spectator ran out and tackled him. He would have won gold, but ended up winning bronze.
Gisele Bündchen's catwalk took longer than the creators expected. During show time, she walked slower than rehearsals and by the time she had reached the combined mark, the song had already ended, which resulted in a planned scene - an interaction between Gisele and Antonio Carlos Jobim, one of the writers of "Girl from Ipanema" - being taken off the live show.
The Opening Ceremony featured presentations of the history and culture of Brazil, including its landscape and forests, the history of the Portuguese people, music and samba, and the favelas among other aspects like the topics of environmental conservation and climate change.
The Games were officially opened by Acting President of Brazil Michel Temer.
The budget for those Games was much lower than of other Olympics. However, the Opening Ceremony was highly praised for its vivid, diverse performances, emphasis on multiculturalism, and its appeal to the issue of climate change.