Ever since renovation works were completed in June 1999, the historic Estadio Joaquim Americo – better known as the Arena da Baixada – has been considered one of Brazil’s most modern and best-appointed stadiums.
It came as no surprise, therefore, that the home ground of Atletico Paranaense, which was originally constructed back in 1914, was among those venues chosen to host games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.
Prior to welcoming the global showpiece, however, the stadium will undergo another set of renovation works which are due for completion in December 2012. Included in this process are a series of improvements in facilities and the addition of rows of extra seats parallel to the pitch. This will result in an increased capacity of 40,000, with the stadium set to welcome four matches at Brazil 2014.