Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu (Pacaembu Stadium)

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Updated On :06 Oct, 2026

Full Name
Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu (Pacaembu Stadium)

Capacity
40,199

Type
Outdoor

Location
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Surface Type
Grass

Pacaembu Stadium, officially known as Estádio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho, is a historic football venue in São Paulo, Brazil. Opened in 1940, the stadium is part of the Pacaembu sports complex and is owned by the Municipality of São Paulo. it has been an integral part of the football frenzy life of the Brazilian capital. It also has a tennis court and gym facilities, making it more useful apart from hosting football events. Major Brazilian clubs such as Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo and Santos have frequently played here. After its initial expansion in 1942, further expansions took place in the years 1958 and 1970, rigged with modern facilities both for players as well as visitors. Known for its distinctive Art Deco architecture, it has hosted major football competitions, including matches at the 1950 FIFA World Cup and the 1963 Pan American Games. Following a major modernization project, the venue now operates under the commercial name Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu and serves as a multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility.

Trivia

The "Museu do Futebol" (Museum of Football) was opened here on 29th September 2008 that tells the history of Brazilian football.
It is named after Paulo Machado de Carvalho, the founder of Brazil’s one of the largest television networks-'Rede Records' and Brazilian delegation chief of the 1958 FIFA World Cup.

Significance

The stadium witnessed the crucial Taça Cidade de São Paulo Cup match as its first match on 27th April 1940 which was won by Palestra Italia, defeating Coritiba by 6–2.
Palestra Italia was the first club to win a competition here as it defeated Corinthians by 2-1 in the Taça Cidade de São Paulo Final on 4th May 1940.
A record of 71,281 spectators attended the Corinthians and São Paulo match on 24th May 1942 which was a draw at 3-3.
On 20th September 1945, a remarkable match was held here in which Palmeiras (formerly known as Palestra Italia) beat São Paulo by 3–1 to win that year's professional football league "Campeonato Paulista".
São Paulo’s crashing 12-1 victory over Jabaquara in 1945 was registered as the highest number of score, made at the stadium.
The stadium witnessed the FIFA World Cup of 1950 as its first football World Cup in which Sweden beat Italy by 3-2 on 25th June 1950. Around 50,000 spectators saw the victory of Sweden.