Estádio do Morumbi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo

Morumbi
Sisbrace
Full name	Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo
Location	Praca Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, 1, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Public transit	4  São Paulo-Morumbi
Owner	São Paulo FC
Operator	São Paulo FC
Capacity	(OFICIAL) 77,011 72,039 (international) (CBF)66,795
Record attendance	146,082 (Corinthians 1–2 Ponte Preta, 9 October 1977)
Field size	105 x 68 m
Surface	Bermuda Celebration
Construction
Broke ground	15 August 1952
Built	17 September 1953 to 25 January 1970
Opened	2 October 1960
Renovated	1994−1996, 2000, 2009 and 2016
Architect	João Batista Vilanova Artigas
Tenants
São Paulo (1960–present) Brazil national football team (selected matches)

The Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo, often called Morumbi, is a famous football stadium. It is located in the Morumbi neighborhood of São Paulo, Brazil. This stadium is the home field for the São Paulo Futebol Clube.

Its official name honors Cícero Pompeu de Toledo. He was the club's chairman during most of the stadium's construction. Sadly, he passed away before it was finished. Morumbi is the biggest stadium in Brazil that is owned by a private club. The stadium was designed by a talented architect named João Batista Vilanova Artigas.

History of Morumbi Stadium

View of the Morumbi Stadium, January 23, 1970. National Archives of Brazil

In its early days, the São Paulo Futebol Clube used a place called Chácara da Floresta. This was their main office and home field. It was near the Tietê river in central São Paulo. Because of this, the club's first version (from 1930 to 1935) was known as "São Paulo da Floresta."

When the club was restarted in 1935, they no longer owned Chácara da Floresta. So, they did not have their own field. From 1936, they rented the Antônio Alonso stadium. In 1938, São Paulo bought the Antônio Alonso stadium. When the Estádio do Pacaembu opened in 1940, São Paulo started using it. The Antônio Alonso stadium was sold in 1942.

In 1944, São Paulo bought land called Canindé. This area was used for their headquarters and training. But it was too small to build a large stadium. So, they looked for a better place in São Paulo.

In 1952, Cícero Pompeu de Toledo, São Paulo's chairman, asked the city for land. He wanted a plot in the Ibirapuera area. The mayor said no, but gave them land in the Morumbi neighborhood instead.

Building the Stadium

On August 15, 1952, the land for Morumbi was blessed. Then, the first steps for construction began. A special committee was chosen to manage the building project. Cícero Pompeu de Toledo was the president of this committee.

Money from selling the Canindé land (sold in 1956) helped pay for building materials. All the club's income was also used for the stadium. This meant the football team itself got less money. The actual building of the new stadium started in 1953. The design for Morumbi was created by architect João Batista Villanova Artigas. He was a key figure in modern architecture.

On August 15, 1952, the stadium construction started. Eight years later, in 1960, part of the stadium was ready. It was opened with space for 70,000 people.

The very first game was played on October 2, 1960. São Paulo beat Sporting Clube de Portugal 1-0. São Paulo's player, Peixinho, scored the first goal in the stadium.

In 1970, the stadium was finally finished. Its maximum capacity grew to 140,000 people. The re-opening game was between São Paulo and Porto, ending in a 1-1 tie.

The stadium's biggest crowd was 138,032 people in 1977. This was when Ponte Preta lost to Corinthians 2-1.

World Cup Consideration

Morumbi was considered for the opening game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, in 2010, it was decided the stadium would not host games. This was because the club could not guarantee money for the needed upgrades. Later, a new stadium for Corinthians was chosen to host the World Cup matches in São Paulo. Morumbi was still modernized by the end of 2014.

Morumbi also hosted the first match of the 2019 Copa America.

Stadium Capacity

The Morumbi stadium once had space for 150,000 people. Now, its official maximum capacity is 77,011 seats. Due to safety concerns, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) lowered the capacity. First, it went down to 72,039, and then to 66,795 seats. The playing field is 105 meters long and 68 meters wide.

Panoramic view of the stadium

Important Matches

2019 Copa América

Date	Time (UTC-03)	Team #1	Res.	Team #2	Round	Attendance
14 June 2019	21:30	Brazil	3–0	Bolivia	Group A	47,260
17 June 2019	20:00	Japan	0–4	Chile	Group C	23,253
19 June 2019	18:30	Colombia	1–0	Qatar	Group B	22,079

Concerts and Events

Morumbi is one of the top places in Brazil for big concerts. It is often chosen along with the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio. The stadium can hold from 20,000 to 75,000 people for live music shows.

The British band Coldplay holds a record here. In 2023, they performed 6 shows during one tour. This was part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour. They also had the highest total attendance at the stadium, with 439,651 fans. Their concerts also set a record for the highest earnings in Brazil's history, making $40.1 million.

See also

In Spanish: Estadio Morumbi para niños