CURITIBA,BRAZIL (WORLD CUP 2014)

Key facts

Club: Clube Atlético Paranaense | Opening: 1999 | Capacity: 41,456 seats

History and description

The Arena da Baixada, also referred to as Arena CAP, got built in the late 1990s in the place of Atlético’s old Estádio Joaquim Américo Guimarães. It officially opened on the 20th of June 1999 and was considered one of the most modern stadiums of Latin America at that time.

The stadium could initially hold about 30,000 spectators and was temporarily renamed Kyocera Arena in the mid 2000s following a naming rights deal.

In 2009, the Arena da Baixada got selected as one of the playing venues of the 2014 World Cup, and despite having been opened only a decade earlier, had to undergo a thorough redevelopment to comply with FIFA requirements.

Building works started late 2011, but delays meant that the expected reopening in the summer of 2013 had to get delayed until later that year. The total cost of the project was budgeted to be R$ 234 million.

During the 2014 World Cup, the Arena da Baixada will host four matches in the first group stage.