Neo Química Arena, Football stadium in Itaquera District, São Paulo, Brazil
Neo Química Arena is a football stadium in the Itaquera district of São Paulo with 48,905 seats, home of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. Seen from above, its pale grey flat roof is divided into wide panels forming a thick border around a central rectangular opening that frames the green grass pitch and its white lines. Below the roof, the exterior walls are white and grey, with a lower seating tier visible on the far side, and the base has a paved concourse and several rectangular entrances among city streets.
Construction began in May 2011, and the facility opened in May 2014, just weeks before the World Cup in Brazil. In June 2014, it hosted the opening match between Brazil and Croatia, attended by more than 62,000 spectators.
Known locally as Casa do Povo, the venue fills with supporters who create one of the loudest atmospheres in Brazilian football during Corinthians home matches. On game days, the surrounding streets become a gathering point where fans meet hours before kickoff, with vendors selling jerseys and food outside the entrances.
The nearest metro station, Corinthians-Itaquera, sits right next to the venue and offers frequent connections to central São Paulo on match days. Extra bus routes operate during major events, and visitors should plan to arrive about an hour before kickoff due to crowds gathering outside.
On 6 September 2024, the arena hosted the first NFL regular-season game ever played in South America, between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. The fixture followed the stadium's six matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, including the opening game and the third-place match. It is also set to stage ten matches at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, among them the third-place match.
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