Football immersion in the city of São Paulo & its stadiums

Get ready to learn more about Brazil, “the country of Football”

It is the national passion: football is more than a sport for Brazilians. It is in our DNA, in our popular culture, in our identity and in the way the world sees us. If you want to experience how mad we are about it, just watch a game with us. If you wish to understand the extension of its popularity, then go to Brazil during a world cup. The country simply "stops" during a simple Brazilian match. When I say stop, I mean it: everybody watches the game, even the non-fanatic ones get involved in this fascinating vibe. 

If you share this Brazilian fondness, you may want to go to a football game while visiting São Paulo. In addition to an extensive agenda of national and state championships, the city proposes several tours that show more about our football history and the glories of our local teams.

Múseo do Futebol or the Museum of Football

Founded in 2008, the Football Museum intends to “investigate, preserve and communicate the football as a cultural expression in Brazil.” The idea is to propose an interactive way to discover how football landed in Brazil and why it became an integrated part of our culture and identity. 

Besides the super interesting main exhibition and the exciting temporary ones of the museum, this visit also offers a historical aspect. The museum is located in one of the city's most famous landmarks: in the remarkable "Pacaembu" Stadium. The “Estádio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho,” or better known as Pacaembu Stadium, (as Pacaembu is the name of the neighborhood), has a beautiful Art Deco style. Since 1940, the magnificent stadium has been carrying an extensive list of important matches and international events. As the place belongs to the state and not to a particular team, Pacaembu hosts matches for the biggest teams in the city, which are the Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo, and also Santos. It is indeed a heritage site worth visiting.

Morumbi Tour

Popularly known as "Morumbi", the Stadium “Cícero Pompeu de Toledo” is the biggest private stadium in Brazil. It is home to São Paulo Futebol Clube (São Paulo Football Club, in English), the traditional team, named after the city. The stadium's construction started in 1952 and took 18 years to be finished until its foundation in 1970. 

All over the years, the stadium held many important matches and several international and memorable national concerts. Today, after being renovated to accommodate the public better, the stadium became a complex called Morumbi Concept Hall. It includes a Japanese restaurant, a snack bar, a physiotherapy clinic, a sports gym, and several other entertainment areas.  It also offers the opportunity to get to know better the legendary team and the great athletes that formed its history. You will be able to experience the Brazilian passion authentically.

The state-of-the-art stadium: Allianz Parque

In 2014, the São Paulo city acquired one of the most modern stadiums in Latin America: the Allianz-Parque. The arena that replaced the ancient stadium now holds games, concerts, and major international events. This "state-of-the-art stadium" meets FIFA’s standards, and it raises as an important heritage to the city. Allianz-Parque is home to "Palmeiras," a traditional football club founded in 1914 as "Palestra Italia." As the name suggests, it was founded by the Italian community in Brazil, and it had its name changed to Palmeiras in 1942.

The Allianz-Parque Experience Tour allows visitors to go through all the areas of the stadium. You will be able to feel like a true player, going from the changing room to the fields. Additionally, you will find out about the history of the club and how it contributes to the football national culture.

Arena Corinthians, the people's house

Undoubtedly, the "Corinthians Football Club" is the most popular team in São Paulo. It has the biggest fan club, and it is known to be the team of the crowds. That is why they call its Arena, the house of the people or "casa do povo" in Portuguese. The stadium was built to host the World Cup in 2014, where six matches took place, including the opening ceremony and the first match of Brazil versus Croatia. After that, the Arena Corinthians became the house of "Timão," which means the big team in Portuguese. You will also hear the locals refer to the Arena Corinthians as "Itaquerão," due to Itaquera, the name of the neighborhood where the stadium is located. Although this stadium is not in São Paulo city, it wouldn't be fair not to mention one of the biggest teams in São Paulo. Besides, Itaquera is easily accessed by train or subway.

The world cup is a massive occasion for Brazilians, and you will get to know more about its history and the evolution of the team. Additionally, to make your tour even more passionate, you will be guided by real fans that add their own love for "Timão." The Arena Corinthians tend to select their guides from a group of their most enthusiastic fans, aiming to make the experience even more genuine.

Choose your favorite site and dive into our football history!