BRASILIA, BRAZIL (WORLD CUP 2014)

Key facts

Club: none | Opening: 2013 | Capacity: 71,412 seats

History and description

Estádio Nacional de Brasília Mané Garrincha is Brazil’s recently opened new national stadium in the city of Brasilia. It is one of the selected playing venues of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Construction of the stadium started in 2010 at the site of the old Estádio Mané Garrincha, which earlier got completely demolished. The project worked with a budget of R$ 688 million, to be financed by the local government, though final costs are estimated to have passed R$ 1 billion. Various delays and strikes plagued the project.

The design of Estádio Nacional de Brasília was inspired by the works of architect Oscar Niemeyer, famous for his role in the design of the city of Brasilia. Most characteristic feature are the 288 pillars that form the exterior and are holding up the roof.

Estádio Nacional de Brasília officially opened on the 18th of May 2013 with a friendly match between local sides Brasilia and Brasiliense. None of the local clubs have committed to making the much-too-large stadium their permanent home, but they are expected to occasionally use it for high-profile matches.

The stadium is scheduled to host seven matches during the 2014 World Cup, including one quarter-final and the match for third place. It has also been selected as one of the playing venues of the 2013 Confederations Cup.