Estádio do Morumbi

Lore & Background

In the early years of its existence, São Paulo FC used the Chácara da Floresta as their home field. After the club was refounded in December 1935, it rented the Antônio Alonso stadium, then acquired it in 1938. From 1940, São Paulo used the Estádio do Pacaembu as a home field. In 1944, São Paulo bought a piece of ground called Canindé, used only as a headquarters and training location. In 1952, chairman Cícero Pompeu de Toledo requested a groundplot in Ibirapuera, but the mayor donated a groundplot in the Morumbi neighborhood instead. On 15 August 1952, the land was blessed and pre-construction began. Actual construction started in 1953. Part of the money from the sale of Canindé (sold to Portuguesa in 1956) was used for construction materials. The stadium was partially concluded and inaugurated in 1960 with a maximum capacity of 70,000. The inaugural match was on 2 October 1960, when São Paulo beat Sporting CP 1–0. In 1970, construction was finally concluded and capacity increased to 140,000. The stadium's attendance record is 138,032, set in 1977. Morumbi was considered for the 2014 FIFA World Cup opening match but was excluded in June 2010. It hosted the opening match of the 2019 Copa América. In December 2023, Mondelez International announced a three-year naming rights contract, renaming it to MorumBIS.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights cut through the darkness, illuminating a pitch that had seen it all. Thousands of voices merged into a single roar as Palmeiras lined up against their rivals. Every kick of the ball echoed off the concrete stands, a reminder of the weight of history pressing down on the shoulders of the players. In the corner flag, the green and white scarf fluttered violently in the wind, a silent promise that tonight, another chapter of glory would be written.

Reader's Guide

The stadium has a current capacity of 72,039 seats. Upper level: 37,539 (including 9,162 seats in visitors sector). Middle level: 17,520. Ground level: 11,736. It can hold from 20,000 to 75,000 people for live concerts. British alternative rock band Coldplay and American singer Bruno Mars hold the record for most shows on a single tour at the stadium, with 6 each. Coldplay also holds the highest attendance at the stadium, with 439,651 in 2023 as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour, and the highest-grossing boxscore report in Brazil's history, with $40.1 million.

Did You Know?

• The stadium is named after Cícero Pompeu de Toledo, São Paulo FC's chairman during most of its construction.
• The first goal at Morumbi was scored by São Paulo's Peixinho in a 1–0 win over Sporting CP on 2 October 1960.
• Morumbi is the largest privately owned stadium in Brazil.
• The stadium's capacity was lowered three times: first to 77,011, then to 72,039, and eventually to 66,795.