For the first time since 1950, Brazil will play host to one of the most exciting sporting events in the world – the World Cup. Starting on June 12 and running through July 13, twelve different cities in Brazil will host a series of games that will determine who the best team in the world is. Kicking off their very own Alternative World Cup, Netflights is inspiring travellers with the top monuments, cities, foods, bars and weird facts of the nation’s competing at the June games. Inspired by Netflights’ AWC idea, we’ve decided to share some of the top Brazilian cities where to catch the World Cup action.
If you’re planning a trip to South America for the World Cup.
Salvador
Located along the eastern shore, the city of Salvador built Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova specifically for the World Cup games. This stadium holds around 55,000 people and will only ever be used for soccer matches. When you aren’t taking in the games, Salvador offers plenty of beautiful beaches and great nightlife. It is also the third largest city in Brazil, so you’ll definitely get a true Brazilian experience.
Fortaleza
Another beautiful beach-side city is Fortaleza. The stadium in the city, known as Castelão, has been around since 1973. However, the stadium did go through major renovations to prepare itself for the 2014 World Cup. The stadium can now hold over 67,000 people. On June 17, Castelão will play host to the Brazil versus Mexico game, which you can bet will be a ruckus event on the beach.
Brasilia
Known best as Brazil’s capital, Brasilia offers plenty of modern implementations into a classical city. Brasilia is located more inland than some of the other venues on this list, but don’t let that fool you into thinking you can’t have a great time. Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, the 70,000-fan stadium in Brasilia, will also play host to the Brazil versus Cameroon match on June 23, as well as the third place game for the tournament on July 12.
São Paulo
São Paulo is one of the most popular destinations in all of Brazil. It ranks among the world’s most populated cities and can be seen from miles away with hundreds upon hundreds of concrete skyscrapers. The arena in São Paulo is expected to be finished just before the games start, and hold just under 50,000 people. It will host Brazil’s opening match against Croatia on July 12, which you can bet will be one of the most exciting games in all of the tournament. This will be the host country’s first showing in front of thousands of fans in attendance and millions filling the streets of São Paulo. If you fly to Brazil, you will likely be arriving in São Paolo and making your way around the rest of the country from there.
Rio de Janeiro
No trip to Brazil is complete without a visit to Rio de Janeiro, and with the city hosting the final match of the tournament, you can see why. This city is a concrete jungle that is surrounded by beautiful harbors and mountains. The home country doesn’t have any scheduled games in Rio in the first round, but if they advance, which they likely will, they could be looking at two games in one of the best stadiums in the country and with nearly 80,000 people in attendance.
No matter where in Brazil you end up, you can rest assured that the World Cup celebrations will be unlike anywhere else. This is a country of die hard football fans, and the party will go on for days.
