Teixeirão
Photo: Renato Patinhas · CC BY 3.0 · source
- Capacity
- 32,168
- Year opened
- 1996
- Club
- —
- Country
- Brazil
Overview
About the stadium
Estádio Teixeirão, officially the Estádio Benedito Teixeira, is the largest football ground in the city of São José do Rio Preto, in the north-western interior of São Paulo State, Brazil. It belongs to América Futebol Clube (SP), which is also its main tenant, and for decades it has stood at the heart of football in the region. With an official capacity of 32,168 spectators, it ranks as the second-largest stadium in the entire São Paulo interior and the sixth-largest privately owned ground in Brazil.
A cathedral of interior football
The natural-grass pitch measuring 105 × 68 metres meets international standards and has allowed the arena to host Campeonato Paulista, Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Brasileiro fixtures and Brazil national-team matches. The nickname "Teixeirão" (roughly "big Teixeira") nods both to the sheer scale of the structure and to the man it honours.
- City: São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo State
- Owner and tenant: América-SP
- Opened: 1996
- Capacity: 32,168 seats
History
Journey through time
The stadium was built between 1994 and 1996 using funds that América raised partly through player sales. It was a strikingly ambitious project for an interior club, and the resulting structure remains one of the biggest privately owned arenas in the country.
From the opening whistle
The inaugural match took place on 10 February 1996 in the Campeonato Paulista, when the home side América lost 2–3 to São Paulo in front of 17,585 paying spectators; Valdir scored the first goal at the new ground. Shortly afterwards, on 28 March 1996, Brazil's Olympic team beat Ghana 8–2 here, with forward Marques netting a hat-trick.
- Record attendance: 11 March 2001, São Paulo–Palmeiras 3–0, about 42,000 paying
- Name: after Benedito Teixeira, a player and club president for 23 years
- Construction: 1994–1996
The stadium quickly became the most important sporting venue in the whole Rio Preto region.
Atmosphere
Matchday
When América-SP or the local Rio Preto Esporte Clube play a big match, the Teixeirão turns into a noisy outpost of interior passion. Supporters from the city and the surrounding farming communities of north-western São Paulo fill the terraces and create an atmosphere that larger metropolitan clubs often envy.
The voice of the interior
The record crowd of roughly 42,000 paying spectators for São Paulo against Palmeiras in 2001 showed just how much emotion the ground can hold. During derbies and Campeonato Paulista clashes against powerful sides from the capital, drums, flags and chants ring out across the flat landscape that surrounds the city.
- Home clubs: América-SP, Rio Preto EC
- Peak days: Campeonato Paulista, Copa do Brasil
- Character: warm interior crowd, family-friendly feel
Despite the ups and downs of the clubs' fortunes, the Teixeirão remains a symbol of Rio Preto's footballing pride.
Practical info
Visiting the stadium
São José do Rio Preto lies roughly 440 kilometres north-west of the city of São Paulo and is easily reached along the Washington Luís highway (SP-310). The city has its own airport, Aeroporto Prof. Eribelto Manoel Reino, linking it with the state capital and other Brazilian hubs.
Getting to the stadium
The Teixeirão sits within the urban fabric, and on match days city bus routes serve the area; driving is fairly smooth thanks to the wide approach roads.
- By car: along the SP-310 (Washington Luís) into São José do Rio Preto
- By air: Eribelto Manoel Reino airport, then taxi or ride-hailing
- Public transport: city buses from central Rio Preto
- Tip: buy tickets through América-SP or local box offices
The São Paulo interior is warm for most of the year, so bring water and something to shade your head.
Map
Where to find the stadium
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São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
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