| Estadio Centenario | |
 Aerial view of the stadium in 2021 | |
 Interactive map of Centenary Stadium | |
| Full name | Estadio Centenario |
|---|---|
| Location | Avenida Dr. Américo Ricaldoni y Federico Videla,Parque Batlle,Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Coordinates | 34°53′40.78″S56°9′10.22″W / 34.8946611°S 56.1528389°W /-34.8946611; -56.1528389 |
| Owner | Montevideo Department |
| Operator | Comisión Administradora del Field Oficial (CAFO) |
| Capacity | 60,235[1] |
| Record attendance | 79,867 Uruguay–Yugoslavia[2] (27 July 1930) |
| Field size | 105 x 68 m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 21 July 1929 |
| Built | 1929–30 (8 months) |
| Opened | 18 July 1930 (95 years ago) (18 July 1930) |
| Renovated | 2021 |
| Construction cost | $1,000,000 |
| Architect | Juan Antonio Scasso |
| Tenants | |
| Uruguay national football team (1930–present) Peñarol (1933–2016) | |
TheEstadio Centenario (Spanish pronunciation:[estaðjoθentenaɾjo];lit. 'Centenary Stadium', named after thecentenary ofUruguay's Constitution) is anassociation footballstadium inMontevideo,Uruguay. Located in theParque Batlle neighbourhood, it is owned by theMontevideo Department.
The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the inaugural1930 FIFA World Cup. It is listed byFIFA as one of the football world's classic stadiums.[3][4] On 18 July 1983, it was declared by FIFA as the first Historical Monument of World Football, to this day the only building to achieve this recognition worldwide.[5][6]
Estadio Centenario is thenational stadium of Uruguay and the primary home of theirnational football team. Even the top-rankedBrazil national football team has only managed three wins in 20 attempts; two were official matches during2010 and2018 World Cup qualification, but one was Uruguay's heaviest defeat at the stadium when they lost 4–0 to Brazil in 2009.
The construction of the Centenario is one of the most important stages in the development of sports inSouth America and international football. It was built especially for the1930 FIFA World Cup, by immigrant workers in a record time of nine months. Its name originates from the 100-year-celebration of the ratification of thefirst Constitution of Uruguay.[citation needed]
Initially, all World Cup matches were to be played in the Centenario. However, heavy rains inMontevideo delayed construction of the stadium, so that several matches had to be played in thePocitos Stadium ofC.A. Peñarol, and theParque Central ofClub Nacional de Football. It was inaugurated on 18 July 1930, with a match betweenUruguay andPeru; theCeleste won 1–0 with a goal byHector "Manco" Castro.[7]
The final match of the inaugural World Cup matchedUruguay andArgentina, withUruguay winning 4–2.[8] Since then, the Centenario has been the scene ofCopa América (1942,1956,1967,1995), threeSouth American Youth Championships (1979,2003,2015), aSouth American Under-17 Football Championship (1999) and1980 Mundialito.[citation needed]
In 2021, the Centenario was selected as host of theCopa Libertadores andCopa Sudamericana finals. The stadium was renovated to prepare for those matches. The total cost of the works was $6 million and included the renovation of the grandstands, bathrooms, VIP boxes, and press boxes, along with a new illumination system and new pitch.[9][10]
Aside from theUruguay national team, any football club can rent the stadium for its home matches.[6]Peñarol has done that often,[11] andNacional rents it for some international matches.[12] Peñarol played all of its home matches at the stadium from 1933 until it moved toEstadio Campeón del Siglo in 2016.[citation needed]
In the case of other Uruguayan teams, they often decide to play there against both Peñarol and Nacional.[11][12]
The stadium has four grandstands separated by four lanes. The main one is the Olympic Tribune (and lower Platea known asOlympic), which is named so because the team had won two Olympic championships in a row (1924 and1928). This has a maximum capacity of 21,648 spectators located in the three rings and the audience.[1] Then there are the "popular", so called because they are sold cheaper, these are: theColombes, in honor of theColombes,France in which the national team became Olympic champions1924 andAmsterdam, because it was where theCeleste were crowned Olympic champions for the second time in1928. The GrandstandColombes accommodates 13,914 spectators while theAmsterdam accommodates 13,923.[1] TheAmerica Tribune is parallel to the Olympic one. There are also "VIP" boxes and press boxes with room for 1,882 spectators, as well as the platform has room for 2,911 spectators, and additionally the grandstand has room for 5,957 people.[1]
Under the Olympic Grandstand are located primary school "Nº 100 Héctor Fígoli"; and the Museum of Uruguayan Football. Under the Colombes Grandstand is located Police Station Nº9.
Inside the Centenario stadium, there are other facilities such as the "Uruguayan Football Museum" which highlights the sporting achievements of the Uruguayan national team. It is located under the Olympic grandstand of the Centenario stadium and was inaugurated on 15 December 1975. In 2004, it underwent a remodeling, in which a panoramic elevator was added to theTorre de los Homenajes.
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The Museum has a large collection of objects that are reminders of the most outstanding moments of Uruguayan and world football.[citation needed]
This is administered by the Official Field Administrative Commission (CAFO), which is made up of representatives of the AUF and the Montevideo Municipal Government.[13] On 21 July 1929, the founding stone of the Stadium was laid, which is located under the tower and can also be visited. Estadio Centenario is equipped to accommodate visitors withDisability. The stadium features wheelchair-accessible seating areas, elevators, and ramps. Additionally, dedicated restroom facilities and amenities are available for differently-abled spectators.[14]
There is also a school running under the Olympic grandstand.[citation needed]
Estadio Centenario hosted ten matches of the 1930 FIFA World Cup, including both semi-final matches and the final match.
| Date | Time | Team No. 1 | Result | Team No. 2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 July 1930 | 14:30 |  Uruguay | 1–0 |  Peru | Group 3 | 57,735 |
| 19 July 1930 | 12:50 |  Chile | 1–0 |  France | Group 1 | 2,000 |
| 19 July 1930 | 15:00 |  Argentina | 6–3 |  Mexico | Group 1 | 42,100 |
| 20 July 1930 | 13:00 |  Brazil | 4–0 |  Bolivia | Group 2 | 25,466 |
| 20 July 1930 | 15:00 |  Paraguay | 1–0 |  Belgium | Group 4 | 12,000 |
| 21 July 1930 | 14:50 | Uruguay | 4–0 |  Romania | Group 3 | 70,022 |
| 22 July 1930 | 14:45 | Argentina | 3–1 | Chile | Group 1 | 41,459 |
| 26 July 1930 | 14:45 | Argentina | 6–1 |  United States | Semi-final | 72,886 |
| 27 July 1930 | 14:45 | Uruguay | 6–1 |  Yugoslavia | Semi-final | 79,867 |
| 30 July 1930 | 14:15 | Uruguay | 4–2 | Argentina | Final | 68,346 |
It hosted the final of theCopa Sudamericana on 20 November 2021 and theCopa Libertadores on 27 November 2021.[citation needed]
On 4 October 2023, Uruguay was announced as one of six host nations for the2030 FIFA World Cup. To celebrate the centennial of the inaugural World Cup, Estadio Centenario is expected to host the opening match.[15]
The stadium has held numerous concerts by both national and international artists such as:[16][deprecated source]
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None | FIFA World Cup Opening Venue 1930 | Succeeded by All 8 venues used for the1934 FIFA World Cup, matches on the first day were all played at the same time |
| Preceded by None | FIFA World Cup Final Venue 1930 | Succeeded by Stadio del PNF Rome |
| Preceded by | South American Championship Final Venue 1942 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Copa América Final Venue 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Copa Sudamericana Final Venue 2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Copa Libertadores Final Venue 2021 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
