Copa América 2021: where is it played, stadiums and cities?

Five stadiums have been selected as playing grounds for this year's re-hosted CONMEBOL Copa America. After the South American football confederation decided to remove Argentina and Colombia as the original host of the Continental Cup, Brazil was selected as a compromising and quick solution. Having already built infrastructure from the recent World Cup 2014, it was an easy decision for the CONMEBOL officials.

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Ten national football teams participating in the 2021 Copa América will play their matches in four cities and a handful of legendary Brazilian stadiums.

MANÉ GARRINCHA

Located in Brasilia, the Mané Garrincha is a big, important stadium in the country's capital. It was built in 1974, and it was completely renovated in 2013 for the Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup. It has a capacity of 72,000.

The stadium is, of course, named after the legendary star of the national team and two-time world champion Mané Garrincha. The architecture of Oscar Niemeyer inspires the beautiful façade of the stadium, brazilian arquitect best known for his designs of civic buildings for Brasília. This, from scratch, planned city became Brazil's capital in 1960.

Brazil and Venezuela will have their opening game of the 2021 CONMEBOL Copa America at this magnificent ground.

PANTANAL ARENA

Cuiabá's stadium is named after the Pantanal biome, a swampy floodplain of south-central South America in the upper basin of the Paraguay River. Noted for its biodiversity, it is the largest freshwater wetland in the world.

The stadium's design prioritizes optimal air circulation to improve the experience of fans and players given the high temperatures in Cuiabá.

As with the Mané Garrincha, the Arena Pantanal was built to host 2014 World Cup matches and has a capacity of 44,000 people. Cuiabá Esporte Clube will play in the Brazilian Serie A in the 2021 season.

OLÍMPICO

The Olímpico is the oldest stadium in the capital of the state of Goiás, Goiânia. It is home to some important Brazilian clubs like Goiás, Vila Nova, Goiânia, and Atlético Goianiense.

The stadium was officially opened in 1941 and modernized in 2016. The following year, it was one of the venues for the U-17 World Cup. It has a capacity of 10,000 spectators.

NILTON SANTOS

The football shrine of club Botafogo, one of Rio's most famous clubs. It is named after one of the most prominent Botafogo players, the two-time world champion Nilson Santos. The stadium is also known as Engenhão, named after on of Rio's neighborhoods where it is situated.

Nilton Santos stadium was built to host the Rio 2007 Pan American Games and was also the scene of several Rio 2016 Olympic Games events. It has a capacity of 45,000 seats.

MARACANA

One of the most famous stadiums in the world, if not the most famous. The 78,000 seater venue has witnessed decades of football history. It hosted finals of the World Cup, Olympic Games, Copa Libertadores, and, in 2021, it will once again host the final of the CONMEBOL Copa América.

In 2019, the South American competition was played in Brazil at the Maracana, where the seleção won their ninth title, beating Peru 3-1 in the final.