Corinthians plan Neo Química Arena upgrades during World Cup pause | OneFootball

Corinthians are planning a programme of works at the Neo Química Arena during the domestic pause for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The package ranges from a deep clean to maintenance and a small capacity boost.

Fans have called for a thorough clean in recent years, the last major effort came in November 2020 to prepare the facade and roof for the Neo Química naming-rights branding. According to Meu Timao, this round is set to be more extensive, covering stairways, big screens, metal structures and internal areas, with the club awaiting final bids and expecting to spend R$ 500,000 to R$ 600,000.

The club are also exploring maintenance and replacement of internal and external scoreboards and LED systems to fix long-standing faults. No cost estimate has been given.

A full pitch replacement is planned, building on last September’s renewal funded by the NFL, R$ 2,700,000, for the São Paulo Game in Itaquera. That investment targeted the synthetic fibre, which had been re-injected during the FIFA Club World Cup break. With a longer window now, the aim is to relay the entire surface, and the board do not view the cost as high.

Corinthians will also seek to expedite approvals for a minor capacity increase. The club filed for permits at the end of March to remove seats in the South Stand and add lateral sections beside the East Upper, inspired by NFL set-ups used in 2024 and 2025. If permits are granted and work goes ahead mid-year, the Arena could add about 3,700 places, 1,677 in the South and roughly 2,000 in the East Upper, taking capacity from 48,905 to above 52,000.

Source: Meu Timao