• City: Fortaleza
• Capacity: 64,846
• Year Built: 1973
• Average June Temperature:27C (celsius)
Situated in Fortaleza, on the north-east coast of Brazil, the Estadio Castelao is in the country’s fifth-largest city in an area that boasts 25 miles of beaches.
First built in 1973, the stadium has been completely revamped for the finals and will host six World Cup 2014 games, including four group matches.
The highlights will be Brazil’s second group match against Mexico, a second-round clash which could feature Spain, Holland, the tournament hosts or Croatia and the first quarter-final – a potential encounter between the Selecao and either England or Italy.
Officially known as Estadio Governador Placido Castelo, the arena hosted three matches at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup – two group games and Spain’s penalty shootout win over Italy at the semi-final stage, all of which saw attendances of over 50,000, marking the second highest average attendance of all the tournament’s host venues, after Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana.
Teams can expect a superb playing surface after the Estadio Castelao pitch won the award for the best on show at the Confederations Cup, quite an achievement given the tropical climate of Fortaleza.
The stadium is home to Ceara Sporting Club in the Brazilian second tier and was the first of the 12 World Cup venues to be completed and ready for matches. Click below for a view of the stadium courtesy of Google Maps.
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