The hall of Origins, which tells the story of the sport from the 19th century to the 1930s, is one of the redesigned spaces that now places more emphasis on women’s football. One of the biggest moments in this history was the decree signed by Getúlio Vargas in 1941, which banned women from practicing the sport. In the updated course, there is more unpublished content collected and donated by players, coaches and sports journalists.

Rare images showing Brazilian women playing football from the 1920s onwards have been included – for the time being, the oldest known records.

In the Cups hall, women’s football is featured in four modules – Defense, Dribbling, Counter-Attack and Goal – which exalt women’s history and resistance between 1941 and 1988 – the period from the banning of the sport until the First Experimental Tournament in China in 1988, which preceded the official creation of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. In addition, all the Women’s Cups since 1991 have been included in the Hall, along with the Men’s Cups.

Another novelty is a video starring Marta. Projected onto a life-size screen, the Queen of Football bids farewell to the public at the end of the tour. In Portuguese, Spanish and English, the striker invites everyone to return and then thanks them in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). The experience mirrors the welcome video with Pelé at the entrance to the museum since its inauguration in 2008.

In the transition from the first to the second floor of the Football Museum, visitors have the unique opportunity to see the bowels of a football stadium. The Exaltation Hall was created by opening up a previously nonexistent passage that leads to a kind of cave formed by the pillars supporting the grandstand and the hill on which the sides of the Pacaembu stadium are built. It’s between the pillars that images of Brazilian club fans are projected, with the loud sound of their war cries: it’s as if the visitor has been transported to the middle of a football match. One of the public’s most beloved experiences has been retained in the renovation project.

As well as welcoming the public at the start of the exhibition, the King of Football was given a space especially dedicated to him.

The new Pelé hall promises to thrill those who saw him play and surprise those who did not have the opportunity. Considered the athlete of the 20th century by the International Olympic Committee, his career is told with captivating images of the player.

The curators also explore the King’s relationship with other players on the field. The jersey worn by Pelé in the 1970 World Cup final against Italy is joined by another rare example – the uniform worn by the player in a match in honor of England’s Queen Elizabeth II for the São Paulo football team*.

*The jerseys are periodically removed from the display case for conservation. On these occasions, they are replaced by other uniforms related to the collection.

The Almanac of the Ball replaces the old Numbers and Curiosities hall, now with new technologies and interaction, such as challenges and quizzes on topics related to contemporary issues in sport, such as the visibility of sports adapted for people with disabilities and the problem of racism. Visually appealing information in plain language is offered with accessibility features. Another new feature is that the Almanac’s illustrations now depict men and women of different skin complexions, reflecting Brazil’s diversity.

One of the most important stages in national football, the Paulo Machado de Carvalho Municipal Stadium, Pacaembu, could not be forgotten in the Museum’s renovation process. Inside the Ball Almanac there is a special niche about the stadium, telling its story from the first designs in the 1930s to its intense use as a stage for sporting events and major musical, religious and political events.

The hall has a special nine-minute video about the stadium, in addition to tactile mock-ups and seats taken from Pacaembu.

Visitors to the Football Museum will find interactive and gamified possibilities in the new Body Game hall. Through body movements, the activities explore elements of a football match such as passing, precision and speed. Located at the end of the tour, it is a space for fun and interaction.