The Neo Chemical Arena, formerly known as Arena Corinthians, completes ten years of existence since its official inauguration. Located in Itaquera, São Paulo, the arena became a symbol of Corinthians and stage of great sporting moments. Next, check out 12 curiosities about the history and highlights of the stadium.
1. First Departure
The stadium received its first official match on May 18, 2014, with a defeat of the Corinthians for Figueirense by 1 to 0, goal of Giovanni Augusto, who would later play for Timão.
2. Great Competitions
The Arena was the venue for important games, including the opening of the 2014 World Cup between Brazil and Croatia, 2016 Olympic Games and the 2019 Copa América.
3. Naming Rights
After six years of negotiations, the Corinthians concluded a naming rights agreement in 2020 with Hypera Pharma, which paid R$ 300 million to name the stadium Neo Química Arena by 2040.
4. Initial and Current Cost
The initial cost of the stadium was estimated at R$ 930 million by Odebrecht, but the updated value, including interest, reached approximately R$ 1.64 billion.
5. Wins of Corinthians
O Corinthians has played 338 games in the Arena, winning 196 wins, 94 draws and 48 losses, with a balance of 532 goals scored and 253 suffered.
6. Player with More Performances
The goalkeeper Cássio is the player who most played at the Neo Química Arena, with 289 matches played.
7. Major Gunners
The Arena's greatest scorer is Paraguayan Ángel Romero, with 32 goals, followed by Roger Guedes (31), Jô (30), Jadson (24) and Yuri Alberto (24).
8. Public Record
The Arena's public record was in the 2014 World Cup semi-final, with 63,267 payers watching Argentina vs. Holland. The largest public in the Corinthians as commander was in the semifinal of the Copa do Brasil 2023 against São Paulo, with 46,517 fans.
9. Conquered Securities
O Corinthians He won three titles at the Arena: the 2015 Brazilian Championship and the 2017 and 2019 Paulista Championships.
10. Real estate valuation
Since the opening of the Arena, the number of real estate launches in Itaquera and surroundings has tripled, with the value of the square meter rising from R$ 5.249 for R$ 7.125.
11. Trade Growth
The region around the Arena saw a 28% increase in the number of companies in the last ten years, according to data from the City Hall.
12. Female Football
Neo Química Arena was also the scene of great achievements of women's football. Corinthians, including four Brazilian Championships, three Brazilian Super Cups and three Paulista Championships.
