Estadio Raimundo Sampaio Independencia Arena

Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Formerly: Estádio Raimundo Sampaio, Campo do Sete de Setembro

On the map

Banda militar desfilando no estádio Independência, Belo Horizonte, primeira metade do século XX . Coleção Barão Tiesenhausen/Acervo MHAB Álvaro Américo Moreira Sales · CC BY-SA 4.0

The ground in Belo Horizonte that América Futebol Clube calls home does not announce itself with a single dominant feature. The modern Arena Independência stands on the same patch of earth where the old Estádio Raimundo Sampaio once sat, but the architectural memory has been largely erased.

What remains of the old structure is visible in the contrast between the new seating tiers and the older, smaller brickwork of the changing rooms. Playing surface is natural grass, laid out in the standard dimensions.

The ground’s history is tied to a specific moment in time rather than a continuous narrative. It hosted matches during the 1950 World Cup, including the famous upset between the United States and England, before settling into a quieter life as a local club’s home.