Estádio Governador João Castelo (Castelão)

The ground carries the name of Governor Plácido Aderaldo Castelo, who set its construction in motion through the state's sports assistance body, FADEC, and opened it on 11 November 1973 with a single tier holding some 70,000. Seven years later, once the lower rings were finished, it posted a figure that still stands as its all-time high: 118,496 for Brazil's 1-0 win over Uruguay on 27 August 1980.

A 2002 refit added a roof and new safety measures but trimmed capacity to around 60,000. The bigger overhaul ran from 31 March 2011 to 16 December 2012, when Vigliecca & Associados demolished and rebuilt the lower tier, fitted a new roof and dug underground parking for 4,200 cars ahead of the 2014 World Cup, at a cost of 518.6 million reais, most of it federal money. Since then the venue has gone by Arena Castelão as often as by its official title.

Unlike most grounds in Brazil's top flight, it has never carried a sponsor's name. Ceará Sporting Club and Fortaleza Esporte Clube both call it home, with Ferroviário using it on occasion — three tenants sharing one ground, unusual for a city this size. The post-renovation attendance record fell only in 2024: 63,908 for Ceará against América-MG on 18 November, edging past the arena's official capacity of 63,903.