When it opened its doors in 2008, the Football Museum surprised with an innovative approach, more focused on the multi-sensory experience of the visiting public than on collections of objects. The history of sport intertwined with that of Brazil and the world, told through emotion and fun, ended up influencing several other Brazilian museums. After 15 years of operation and more than four million visitors, the institution is ready to undergo a major overhaul, with an investment of R$11 million from the São Paulo State Department of Culture, Economy and Creative Industry and additional funds from private sponsors via the Rouanet Law.
To make the renovation possible, the main exhibition will be closed from November 6, 2023, and is expected to reopen in April 2024. But the museum will continue to operate, with the temporary exhibition Futebol de Brinquedo (Toy Football) and an intense agenda of leisure, cultural and educational activities.
The changes involve updating the technology park, redesigning the exhibits to include new installations and experiences, as well as revising the content. One of the highlights will be the greater presence of women’s football, fans and other “football-like activities” – that is, different sports and practices carried out by ordinary people all over Brazil. In addition, the museum is reverberating themes that have become pressing in the world of football in the last two decades, such as diversity, inclusion and the racial issue.
The team has already been working intensively on the project since the beginning of 2022. The group has curatorial coordination by Leonel Kaz, Marcelo Duarte and Marília Bonas; participation by Bernardo Buarque de Hollanda, Dilma Mendes, Tadeu Jungle and Perifacon; artistic direction and exhibition design by Daniela Thomas and Felipe Tassara; visual communication by Jair de Souza and accessibility consultancy by Marina Baffini, as well as participation by the Museum’s staff.
“We can’t give away too many spoilers so as not to spoil the surprise. But when we reopen the main exhibition in April, the public will see a Football Museum as exciting as it has always been, but also more diverse, inclusive and technologically renewed,” says Marília Bonas, technical director of the Football Museum. As a result of the work, the main exhibition will be closed from November 6, 2023.
While the work is going on, the public can continue to enjoy the temporary exhibition Futebol de Brinquedo (Toy Football) and an intense schedule of cultural and educational activities in the museum’s outdoor area. The exhibition is a dive into the emotional memory of football toys, including Aquaplay (toy), Pregobol (a type of football played with nails), Super Trunfo (a collectible card play), dolls, FIFA World Cup mascots and, of course, table football and many button football teams. The exhibition includes giant Pregobol and “human” table football, available for the public to play at will, and more free activities in the outdoor area. Learn more.
