Capacity: 64,846
Opened: 1973
Cost: 520 million reals ($240 million).
History: Completely renovated ahead of this summer’s Confederation Cup tournament, the stadium’s new features include a ring of pitch-side seats, a roof that covers all tiers of seating and an 4,200-space underground parking garage. The state-owned stadium is the home ground of Ceará Sporting Club and Fortaleza Esporte Clube. Its formal name honors former governor Plácido Aderaldo Castelo, who was a leader in getting the stadium built. It was the first of the 12 stadiums being built or renovated for the World Cup to be completed.
Fixtures:
- Uruguay vs. Costa Rica, June 14 (Group D)
- Brazil vs. Mexico, June 17 (Group A)
- Germany vs. Ghana, June 23 (Group G)
- Greece vs. Cote d'Ivoire, June 24 (Group C)
- Round of 16 match, June 29
- Quarterfinal, July 4
The city and surrounding area: It’s the No. 1 tourism spot for Brazilians namely for its surrounding beaches and all that entails. The city’s 2.55 million people make it the country’s fifth largest city, encapsulated by the high-rise apartment buildings lining the beaches.
US soccer city: Miami Beach, FL; Racine, WI
Of note: The stadium’s attendance record for a sporting event is reportedly 118,496 on Aug. 27, 1980, when the Brazil national team beat Uruguay 1-0. The building also hosted Pope John Paul II in 1980, when 120,000 followers flooded into the stadium for the occasion.
