Estádio Governador João Castelo

Locals simply call it Castelão, and the ground has never been formally renamed since. Its unveiling on 1 May 1982 was no quiet affair.

That original capacity, around 80,000, belonged to a different era of Brazilian football. The turning point came with the 2011–2012 rebuild ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the Confederations Cup the year before, a project that cost over 518 million reais. Safety and comfort standards reshaped the bowl more than once during those works, first trimming it toward 67,000, then settling at the 40,149 seats it holds today.

Sampaio Corrêa and Maranhão AC now share the ground for the Campeonato Maranhense and Série B fixtures. The old capacity briefly resurfaced in memory rather than in seats: a Copa CONMEBOL clash between Sampaio Corrêa and Santos in September 1998, won 5-1 by the visitors, still stands as the best-attended match played there. Beyond football, the arena has turned into São Luís's stage for the Bumba Meu São João festival, and Guns N' Roses are booked to play there in 2026.