The top three teams in the state capital had their stadiums, but they were cramped and uncomfortable, and no longer supported the demand of fans.

Atlético, the team with the wealthiest members in Belo Horizonte, planned to build a stadium for 30,000 people, after the winning the 1937 State Champions Cup.

At the end of the 1940s, journalist Canor Simões Coelho achieved with CBD the inclusion of Belo Horizonte as one of the venues of 1950 FIFA World Cup.

Official agreement was signed by mayor Otacílio Negrão de Lima and the president of the CBD, Rivadávia Correa Meyer.

But with the intervention of the CBD and FIFA, the city of Belo Horizonte took charge of construction, and the stage was handed over in time for the match between Yugoslavia and Switzerland on June 25, 1950, even with improvisations.

Under the leadership of Gil César Moreira de Abreu, a group of students from the School of Engineering of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) proposed the construction of a University Stadium, to be located in the city's Pampulha region, where the university owned land.

With the support of the President, former Minas Gerais Governor Juscelino Kubitschek, Cortes even arranged for engineers involved in the construction of Maracanã to come to Belo Horizonte and review the project.

In recognition of Abrahão Caram's role in proposing a feasible financial arrangement, selecting the venue, and assistance in drafting a State Assembly bill paving the way for the construction of Mineirão, in 1966 his name was officially designated to the avenue where the stadium is located, Avenida Antônio Abrahão Caram.

"Estádio Minas Gerais" was then created under State Bill 1947 dated August 12, 1959, which was signed into Law by Governor José Francisco Bias Fortes.

With the approval of President Kubitschek's Education Minister Clóvis Salgado, an agreement between UFMG and AEMG was signed on February 25, 1960, when the Brazilian federal government and the Federal University of Minas Gerais gave Minas Gerais land in the neighborhood of Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, for the construction of the stadium.

While one group acted politically to change laws that enable the acquisition of resources and also convince the Governor Magalhães Pinto fund the construction, AEMG trying to adapt to the fragile financial situation.

To evaluate and eliminate uncertainties, a "mini-Mineirão" was designed, called the experimental sector 15, where a link bleachers and roof would be subjected to all sorts of evidence.

Made a public bidding for the supply of labor, it was found to be unenforceable, because the price charged – 15 million Cruzeiros – was infinitely high box for the administration of the new field.

To speed construction and shorten the drama of the budget, Gil Caesar launched the operation 24 hours a day, divided into three shifts three thousand workers hired.

Acaiaca the top of the building in downtown Belo Horizonte, saw a huge flash of light coming from the sides of the future Mineirão.

Since the stadium opening, the three most important teams in Belo Horizonte have hosted their matches in Mineirão: Cruzeiro (always), Atlético Mineiro and América.

Important matches and trophies won by local teams on Mineirão's pitch include: The stadium's top scorer is Reinaldo, who played for Atlético from 1973 to 1984 and swung the nets 144 times.