The Mineirao Stadium (Estadio Mineirão) is a modern arena where Brazil’s love of soccer springs to life on game days. It’s the home of Atlético Mineiro and Cruzerio, who are the biggest clubs in Minas Gerais, and often welcomes the Brazilian national team. Unveiled in 1965, this 64,000-capacity venue received a modern makeover for the 2014 World Cup. Watch a game at the Mineirao Stadium, go behind the scenes on a guided tour and visit the on-site museum.
Tours of the stadium take you to areas that are usually restricted to players, officials and members of the press only. Peek inside the changing rooms and visit the press box. Marvel as the playing field comes into view as you walk down the player’s tunnel and sit in the dugout. Informative guides will tell anecdotal stories about the stadium and Brazilian soccer history.
In the museum, multimedia exhibits retrace soccer history from Belo Horizonte, Brazil and around the world. Photo galleries show the city in its early days scattered with soccer fields, the building of the original stadium and its redevelopment. One room has around 4,000 files, which detail every game played here. Learn about the origins of soccer from an ancient ball game in China to the foundation of the English Football Association and its arrival in South America.
Purchase tickets for a match for the complete stadium experience. Take your seat among the passionate fans, listen to their deafening roar and join in the chants. The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runs from May to December.
This attraction is in the Pampulha district of Belo Horizonte and about a 30-minute drive from the city center. A public bus service operates from Liberty Square to close to the stadium. Belo Horizonte’s international airport is 2.2 miles (3.6 kilometers) to the east.
The museum at Mineirao Stadium is open from Tuesday to Sunday and there’s an admission fee, which includes the guided tour.