- Address: Avenida Miguel Ignácio Curi, 111, São Paulo
- Country: Brazil
- Capacity: 49,000
- Opened: 10 May 2014
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: Corinthians (football)
Extra stadium info – Neo Química Arena
The construction of the stadium, which was one of the 2014 FIFA World Cup venues, started in 2011. It was named Arena Corinthians between 2014 and 2020. Temporary seats were added to the Neo Química Arena for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The temporary seats were removed shortly after the world championship for national football teams.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup
The venue hosted six FIFA World Cup matches in 2014, including the opening match of the tournament. The national football team of Brazil won the opening match against Croatia 3-1. 62,000 people showed up for the game. The stadium’s record attendance of 63,000 was set in a FIFA World Cup semi-final match between the national football teams of the Argentine Republic and the Netherlands. The Argentines advanced to the FIFA World Cup final after defeating the Netherlands on penalties. The final, which was played in Rio de Janeiro, was won by the national football team of Germany. Mario Götze scored the only goal of the match. Götze played for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern München before he left the Bundesliga for the Dutch side PSV from Eindhoven in 2020.
SC Corinthians Paulista
SC Corinthians Paulista, the first South American sports club with 10 million followers on its main social media page, use the venue for home games. The club was founded in 1910. In 1990, they were crowned Brazilian football champions for the first time in their history. SC Corinthians Paulista won the title after beating their rivals São Paulo Futebol Clube.
International titles
Corinthians won the world championship for football clubs in 2000 for the first time in their history after defeating the Spanish side Real Madrid. In 2012, they won the Copa Libertadores, the championship for South American football clubs, for the first time in their history. The same year, SC Corinthians Paulista won the world championship title again. They won the title after beating the English side Chelsea Football Club in the Japanese city of Yokohama. Sport Club Corinthians Paulista reached the final after beating the Egyptian side Al-Ahly, the first football club with 10 African championship titles.
Corinthians in 2014
Corinthians played their first Brazilian top-flight league game at the Neo Química Arena on 18 May 2014, which they lost against Figueirense in front of 36,000 fans. SC Corinthians Paulista drew an average attendance of 29,000 in 19 home games during their Brazilian top-flight league season in 2014. That year, they finished fourth place in the Brazilian top division, below EC Cruzeiro, São Paulo FC and SC Internacional.
