Brazil will continue their policy of using stadiums in the north of Brazil for home World Cup qualifiers, with the CBF announcing yesterday that the qualifier between Brazil and Bolivia in October will be played in Natal, at the Arena das Dunas.
Brazil’s home qualifiers to this point have been played in Salvador, Recife and Fortaleza, whilst the September qualifier against Colombia will take place in the Arena Amazônia in Manaus. Brazil v Bolivia will be the second home qualifier for new boss Tite, as the Seleção aim to improve on their current standing of 6th place in the CONMEBOL table.
His first match as manager will see Brazil take on Ecuador in Quito. In October, they face Bolivia at home as well as a trip to Venezuela. The CBF will argue that the decision to play home games in the north reflects a commitment to building a solid fan base for the team, who played most of their games away from Brazil between 2012-2015, having already qualified for the 2014 World Cup as hosts.
It is more likely however, that they are looking to maximise revenue in some of their more underused World Cup stadiums. Brazil built many stadiums in the north of the country, yet the majority of teams that play in the north draw small crowds, leaving revenue streams for the stadiums undernourished.