Santos FC and São Paulo FC signed a memorandum of understanding on 11 July that allows each club to host three competitive matches in the rival’s ground. Under the deal, Santos will stage three Brasileirão fixtures at São Paulo’s 67,052-seat Morumbis, while São Paulo will play the same number of home games in Santos’s 16,000-seat Vila Belmiro. Santos aims to capitalise on its growing fan base in the capital and increase gate receipts that are constrained by Vila Belmiro’s limited capacity. “Our intention is to maintain the recent success of playing in São Paulo, helping both the supporters and the team,” club president Marcelo Teixeira said in a statement. For São Paulo, the pact offers an alternative venue when Morumbis is booked for concerts or other events. The coastal club has already asked the Brazilian Football Confederation to authorise its first Morumbis home date against Juventude in the league’s 18th round on 4 August, with a request to bring the match forward to 2 August. A second game, against Vasco da Gama in the 20th round, is also planned for the stadium, while schedules for São Paulo’s matches in Vila Belmiro are still being finalised. The agreement builds on occasional ground swaps the rivals tested in 2023 and 2024 and could encourage similar arrangements elsewhere in Brazilian football.