Mangueirão integrates the Mercosur Football Tourist Route and reinforces Pará as a cultural and sports powerhouse in South America
The State of Pará has officially joined the Mercosur Football Tourist Route, an initiative launched by Brazil, which currently presides over the South American economic bloc. The proposal, announced last Wednesday (22), was led by the Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with the Ministry of Sports, and positions the Olympic Stadium of Pará – Journalist Edgar Proença, the Mangueirão, as one of the cultural and sports icons of South America.
The Mercosur Football Tourist Route connects the main stadiums and sports museums of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, and Bolivia, promoting football as a cultural heritage and a vector for tourist and economic integration among the countries.
From Brazil, the route includes stadiums of strong national symbolism, such as Maracanã (RJ), Allianz Parque (SP), Arena BRB Mané Garrincha (DF), Beira-Rio (RS), Arena do Grêmio (RS), Neo Química Arena (SP), Arena Castelão (CE), Vila Belmiro (SP), as well as iconic museums like the Pelé Museum and the Football Museum. The Mangueirão, in Pará, is the only stadium in the North region to be part of the international circuit.
The initiative aligns with the “Visit South America” brand and seeks to enhance football as one of the deepest cultural expressions of South American identity. The goal is to boost sports tourism, foster cultural exchange, and increase the flow of international visitors, strengthening the creative economy and sustainable development of the countries in the bloc.
Mangueirão: symbol of culture, sport, and Pará identity
Completely rebuilt and reopened in April 2023 by the Government of Pará, the Mangueirão has become one of the greatest symbols of modernity, hospitality, and multifunctionality in the North region. More than just a stadium, the space has established itself as a cultural, sports, and social center, capable of hosting major international events and popular manifestations that express the diversity of the Pará people.
Since its restructuring, the stadium has hosted over 100 sports, cultural, and religious events, consolidating Belém as a reference in infrastructure. The Pará stage has already hosted historic matches, such as the opening of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, when Brazil defeated Bolivia 5 to 1, and the 2025 Supercopa do Brasil, between Flamengo and Botafogo.
In addition to cultural events focused on the environment, such as Amazônia Live – Today and Always, a movement created by the founders of Rock in Rio and The Town to draw attention to the socio-environmental urgencies of the Amazon, anticipating debates that will be highlighted at COP 30, to be held in November this year in Belém.
The Mangueirão is preparing to host one of the largest musical and social events of the year: the Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia, which will take place on November 1st. The festival precedes the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), which will occur in Belém, consolidating the capital of Pará as a stage for major global events. These events establish Pará as one of the new hubs of sports, cultural, and sustainable tourism in Brazil and South America.
The State Secretary of Sports and Leisure, Cássio Andrade, highlighted the role of Mangueirão as a symbol of the new phase of sports and culture in Pará:
“The Mangueirão is much more than a stadium. It is a symbol of pride and identity for the people of Pará. Being part of the Mercosur Football Tourist Route is the recognition of a work that transforms sports into an instrument of culture, development, and integration. Pará is experiencing a new moment, and the Mangueirão is the beating heart of this transformation,” said the secretary.
Culture, memory, and regional integration
The Mercosur Football Route is born with the purpose of integrating stadiums that possess symbolic value, tourist attractiveness, and receptive structure, including museums, memory centers, and guided tours. In the case of Mangueirão, the Government of Pará plans to further strengthen the space as a cultural and sports heritage, expanding visitation actions, historical exhibitions, and interactive experiences about Amazonian and national sports.
The initiative also reinforces Pará's role in the international event calendar, alongside iconic stadiums such as La Bombonera and Monumental de Núñez (Argentina), Estádio Centenário (Uruguay), and the Conmebol Museum (Paraguay).
