Prague district opens Brazilian-inspired street football pitch under viaduct

A new public football pitch has opened in Prague 7, transforming the space under the Negrelli Viaduct into a free-to-use sports area inspired by Brazil’s street football culture. The project, located in the Vltavská area, aims to bring spontaneous play and community activity back into the urban environment.

For residents of Prague 7, the space is intended as both a sports facility and a meeting point, offering an accessible option for everyday recreation in a district that continues to develop its public spaces under major transport infrastructure.

The project was initiated by professional footballer Honza Mejdr, who says the idea was born after a 2018 visit to Brazil, where he was struck by the strong culture of street football and its role in community life.

Mejdr spent several years developing the concept, eventually working with the Prague 7 district, the Czech Railway Administration, and partners including Coca-Cola to bring the pitch to life. He said the aim was to recreate the kind of open, informal football environment he experienced abroad.

“In Brazil, I was inspired by the fact that football still lives in the streets and connects people across generations,” Mejdr said through a press release. “I wanted to bring a similar atmosphere to Prague. It took more than four years, but today we have a pitch that belongs to everyone who wants to play or just meet others.”

The pitch sits directly beneath the railway arches of the recently-renovated viaduct, an area previously underused, and has been redesigned into a dedicated space for street football and informal sport.

According to project partners, the site was chosen for its accessibility and its potential to give new life to an overlooked part of the city.

Prague 7 Mayor Jan Čižinský said the project reflects a broader effort to activate unused urban spaces and expand free access to sports facilities in the city.

“We aim to give unused parts of the city a new meaning, revive them, and open them to the public,” Čižinský said. He added that the district is responding to demand for free sports infrastructure, particularly for young people who may not have access to organized activities during holidays.

The pitch is open to the public daily and free of charge, with plans to host future sports and cultural events in cooperation with football personalities and community groups.

A large-scale mural by artist Ondřej Mio Michálek also forms a key visual feature of the site. The artwork, inspired by football emotion and movement, was created using layered brushstrokes that only form a unified image when viewed from a distance.

“Each stroke represents an individual moment or emotion,” Michálek said. “But the real magic happens when everything comes together into one shared energy on the pitch.”