The new, extensive soccer museum in the football stadium of Pacaembu exhibits the world's most popular game using the latest light and sound equipment. You don't visit this museum, you experience it. Lovers of soccer will need at least a day to learn everything about Brazil's soccer addiction, World Cup history and typical Brazilian soccer expressions. For children the museum is a fabulous playground of exploration where they can endlessly push buttons, watch games and play soccer themselves.
Technology at the soccer museum in São Paulo
Worldwide, the number of interactive museums is growing. People want to experience a museum by selecting what they want to see or hear and interact through games and tests. Information flashes by on screens and silence is no longer required. The soccer museum in São Paulo employs state-of-the-art technology in terms of light, sound and presentation to bring soccer alive.
Beamers are used to bring Brazil's twenty-five Baroque Angels, as the Brazilian soccer gods, idols or heroes are called, alive on huge screens. The museum likes to compare soccer with art and so one room is dedicated to showing the most beautiful goals ever. Underneath the grandstands the spectacle of a full stadium is brought alive through the use of nifty sound and light effects. Of course it's possible to step onto the stands as well to take a picture of the soccer field.
Features of the soccer museum in São Paulo
Enthusiastic radio and TV commentators of soccer games add to the ecstasy of a game, in Latin America arguably more than elsewhere with commentators competing as to who can shout the longest, "Go-o-o-al," after a player has scored. It is only reasonable to have a hall dedicated to the greatest soccer commentators in Brazilian history. Relive the most famous running commentaries on radio by replaying them in a sound box. On the other side of the hall you can select interviews on TV about unforgettable moments in Brazilian soccer.
The fifteen rooms of the museum feature two aspects of soccer: Brazilian soccer and the World Cup – the latter section displays, among other things, examples of all footballs ever used during World Cup Tournaments. Brazilian soccer history is divided into small sections with four framed pictures on either side that may be turned around, with short explanatory texts next to these frames.
Brazil's biggest defeat in soccer history – the 1950 World Cup
Brazil is the only country that has participated in all World Cup Tournaments; it is also the only country that has won it five times. However, Brazilian soccer has known its moments of disaster and disappointment as well, as is brilliantly shown in the room "O rito da passagem".
In 1950 Brazil opened the largest football stadium ever built: the Maracaña Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. With the World Cup being held on their home turf they were convinced they would win the finals against Uruguay in this stadium. After a tie of 1-1 thousands of hearts stopped beating while they watched how Uruguay decided the score with 2-1. The game went into history as Brazil's largest defeat in soccer history.
Activities for kids at El Museo do Futebol in São Paulo
There are table football games to play and 3D videos to watch. A mini soccer field is projected on the floor to play on and children – and their parents – can test at what speed they can kick a soccer ball.
Practical information on the soccer museum in São Paulo
- Address: Praça Charles Miller, Estádio do Pacaembu, Pacaembu neighbourhood, São Paulo, tel: [55] 11 3664-3848.
- The stadium can be reached by taxi or bus, and is within walking distance from subway station "Metrô Clinicas" at Avenida Dr. Arnaldo. For an overnight stay in São Paulo, check out the nearby BossHouse Bed & Breakfast.
- Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday from 10am-17pm.
- Entrance fee is 6 reais [about 3.5 US dollars] and free of charge on Thursday.
- The soccer museum has an extensive website but is in Portuguese only.
Why visit the soccer museum in São Paulo
The soccer museum provides a great day out for families – for the family member who doesn't care much for soccer there is the cosy cafe-bar "O Torcedor" at the far end of the museum, which is a good place to wait with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Meanwhile the soccer addicts have all the time in the world to absorb the world of Brazilian soccer, or as the museum states, "To relive the emotion of a goal, the malice of a dribble, the boldness of a defence or the struggle for a tackle".
Karin-Marijke Vis - Karin-Marijke Vis is a bilingual writer (Dutch-English) who has been traveling in Asia and South America since 2003.
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