Museu do Futebol in São Paulo

Museu do Futebol sits right next to Estádio Paulo Machado de Carvalho, better known as Pacaembu, at Praça Charles Miller, s/n. Contact phone: (55) 11 3664-3848, email: contato@museudofutebol.org.br.

An interactive museum, and we absolutely loved visiting! In short, it tells the story of the Brazilian people and their national passion, soccer. The walls don’t just tell the story — they also display actual soccer memorabilia.

Ground Floor of Soccer History in São Paulo

On the ground floor is the temporary exhibit Tempos de Reação, covering the history of Brazilian goalkeepers, marking the 100th anniversary of goalkeeper Barbosa’s birth.

This exhibit really grabs your attention, since it highlights issues that still exist today, like racism, and shows how the sport is still working to reshape itself structurally, through movements like Black Lives Matter and other efforts pushing for fairer pay and greater respect for athletes.

The exhibit runs from June 19 to November 21, 2021.

First Floor of Soccer History in São Paulo

This floor opens with a video of the great King Pelé, welcoming visitors right as they leave the staircase, talking about how proud he is to be Brazilian. From there, we passed through the Sala dos Anjos Barrocos, showcasing the icons who helped shape the history of Brazilian soccer, both men and women, including Marta and Formiga.

Moving into the goal room, there are 10 interactive booths, where visitors can choose which legendary goals to watch, narrated by sportscasters and well-known Brazilian personalities.

Interactive booths.

Right next door, the Sala do Rádio celebrates the sportscasters and the medium responsible for bringing soccer to every corner of the country, going all the way back to the 1930s. There are nine interactive booths, and you get to choose which broadcast you want to hear.

Finally, this floor ends in the Sala de Exaltação, where you feel like you’re right in the middle of the crowd, singing and cheering.

Second Floor of Soccer History in São Paulo

Next, we headed to the museum’s permanent exhibit, covering the major events that shaped the sport worldwide. It opens with a room full of period photographs, from the 19th century through 1930, called the Sala Origens, tracing the roots of amateur soccer.

The Salas Copas do Mundo cover every World Cup from 1954 through the present, along with the major events happening in Brazil and around the world at the time — and how these shaped both the sport and each country’s politics. We thought this was the most interesting room in the museum.

We finished up in the Números e Curiosidades, Dança e Jogo de Corpo room, showcasing the sport’s main rules and the evolution of its equipment, like the ball, cleats, and more.

Anyone up for it, kids included, can try taking a penalty kick and measuring their shot’s speed, or play with a virtual ball, among other activities.

Beyond the Museum

At the end of the exhibit, there’s a shop selling soccer club souvenirs, called Futebol Superstore, and right after, a café called Bubu, a great spot to stop for a drink after visiting the museum.

Hours:

Tuesday to Sunday: 9 AM to 5 PM (visitors allowed to stay until 6 PM)

First Tuesday of every month: 9 AM to 7:30 PM (visitors allowed to stay until 9 PM)

Tickets: link

Learn more about fun spots in São Paulo in Parque Burle Marx.