Estádio Olímpico Pedro Ludovico Teixeira – tournament stadium description

Copa America 2021 games at Estádio Olímpico

During the CONMEBOL tournament there are five group games scheduled to take place here, as well as two quarterfinal fixtures.

Location

At the time of construction of the first stadium here, it was almost out of the city. However, over time the city grew around it, making the stadium the most-centrally located one. It sits along the representative Av. Paranaíba, served by multiple bus lines.

History of the stadium

Although the first stadium here dates back to the 1940s, the current structure was completed only in 2016. Construction was announced already after the predecessor’s demolition in 2005 but after excavation construction got halted for years. Only in 2013 works restarted, aimed at giving the city a stadium of international standard both for athletics and football.

Architecture

Simple in form, the stadium was designed as an oval with a dominant west stand. It houses almost all facilities and most fans, covered closely by its distinctive blue canopy. Along with the bent floodlight masts, it’s the distinctive feature. Interestingly, there’s a vast underground parking beneath most of the stadium, helping with the shortage in Goiânia’s centre.

Other events

While Goiânia has a much larger stadium (Estádio Serra Dourada), this newer and more modern “Olympic” one has been gaining prominence. The two venues share domestic football fixtures, however the Olimpico has already hosted the U17 World Cup in 2019 and then unexpectedly got on the list for Copa America 2021.