July 18th, 2025
Clube Altético Mineiro: Bringing Facial Recognition to Football
How the Brazilian club ensured safe and digital access control through facial recognition.
Belo Horizonte, Brazil – 2024 – Chaos. Disorganization. Confused fans. That was the reality for Clube Aletico Miniero in November 2024 at the CAM-Flamengo game. The home stadium, Arena MRV became flooded with people and there was no way for staff to manage the inflow of excited supporters. Following the chaos, the brand-new stadium was shut down and the team was not allowed to play on their home pitch. With the loss of matchday revenue and fan support, Arena MRV was left in darkness.
Innovative solutions and quick action was required. CAM and NewC came together to create Brazil’s first facial recognition access controlled stadium. With a simple biometric scan of the face, excited fans now effortlessly enter Arena MRV. A change that both shortens lines, increases safety, and ensures a smoother experience for fans and the club on game days.
Read more here: Biometrics in CAM.
Turning stadium digital
Taking one of Brazil’s newest, most renowned stadiums and making it digital. That was a challenge that Clube Altético Mineiro and NewC Sport faced when entering into a partnership. Tying forces together, the brand-new and high tech Arena MRV which is home to the players of CAM football club won Stadium of the Year in 2023.
CAM not only received international recognition for the scale and beauty of the new stadium, but also for the excellence in design, and the increased fan engagement the stadium brought. With a capacity of 46,000 persons, Arena MRV became a central meeting point for fans and people of Belo Horizonte. The stadium’s iconic black and white stripes not only serve as a visual landmark in the state of Minas Gerais – but as a cultural hotspot for sharing passion for beautiful Brazilian football.
“NewC Sport has been a trusted partner in our journey to create Arena MRV. Their innovative solutions have played a crucial role in transforming our vision into reality, enabling us to provide an exceptional experience for our fans.” — Leandro Evangelista, CIO, Clube Atlético Mineiro.
Arena MRV received international recognition and was inaugurated in April 2023 as South America’s most advanced stadium. With the help of NewC Sport’s technological solutions, CAM raised the industry standard for fan engagement. Facial recognition and turnstiles became cutting-edge implementations to ensure seamless flows on game days.
See how facial recognition works at Arena MRV here:
(credit: Clube Atlético Mineiro)
About CAM:
Clube Altético Mineiro is represented by the rooster – a mascot of which its supporters are very proud. With 14 official titles and an average of 31,000 passionate supporters (which they call Massa Atleticana) attending each home game, CAM has established itself on the Brazilian football stage. With a historical player as Ronaldinho in 2012, CAM, or informally known as ‘Galo’ placed itself in the centre of South American quality football.
About NewC:
Founded in 2009, Mads and Mikkel decided to change the way football fans experience football games through digital ticketing solutions. NewC was set in place to help clubs execute memorable and profitable matchdays through deeper engagement with fans and data. Through data-driven insights and digital solutions, NewC today aims at connecting clubs, fans, and stakeholders to grow the game that we love. NewC is dedicated to transforming how football clubs engage with fans, with a keen focus on delivering state-of-the-art digital solutions. These solutions not only boost revenue but also significantly elevate the fan experience. NewC Sport is committed to partnering with ambitious football clubs all over the world to prioritize their community and legacy, blending innovation with tradition to make every matchday a memorable experience.
