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World Cup 2014 Stadium Guide – Arena Pantanal

By on May 20, 2014

TO KICK OFF OUR GUIDE TO THE WORLD CUP STADIUMS, ALEX MORGAN TAKES A LOOK AT THE ARENA PANTANAL…

Arena Pantanal

Capacity: 42968
Matches hosting: Chile v Australia (Group B, June 13, 2014); Russia v Korea Republic (Group H, June 17, 2014); Nigeria v Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group F, June 21, 2014); Japan v Columbia (Group C, June 24, 2014)

The Arena Pantanal, located in the city of Cuiaba, is one of the many stadiums hardly finished in time for this summer’s tournament. Completed only a few weeks ago, the £140 million stadium was built specially for the World Cup, replacing the demolished Estádio José Fragelli. However, it’s construction ended quite controversially as one worked died of electrocution during the building of the stadium.

Yet the end result won’t even make it one of the most spectacular stadiums at the World Cup, much less in the entire continent. With four, unconnected main stands surrounding the stadium, it makes for a stadium almost like a larger version of London’s Craven Cottage.

There is, though, a visually pleasing entrance to the stadium; with the outside of the stadium given a modern look. Also, the stands are quite modern and give off a high-tech vibe. Thus, after the World Cup is over and the venue is reduced to a captaincy of only 28,000, in which the upper levels of both ends will be dismantled, it will make for a wonderful permanent home got it’s future tenants Mixto EC and Cuiabá EC.

During the World Cup, however, it will be a painstaking venue to play at, located in a humid area of Southern Brazil bordering the Amazon rainforest. At least the Arena’s location, smack in the middle of Brazil and South America is convenient, only four hour flight away from the World Cup venue farthest from it.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.