 Estadio Hernando Siles in February 2011 | |
 Interactive map of Estadio Hernando Siles | |
| Full name | Estadio Hernando Siles |
|---|---|
| Location | Avenida Saavedra,La Paz, Bolivia |
| Elevation | 3,582 m (11,752 ft) |
| Operator | SEDEDE |
| Capacity | 41,143 37,029 (international)[1] |
| Record attendance | 60,000 |
| Field size | 68 m * 105m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Electronic |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1930 |
| Renovated | 1977 |
| Tenants | |
| Bolivia national football team (1930 - 2023) Bolívar The Strongest Universitario de La Paz Chaco Petrolero Mariscal Braun Fraternidad Tigres Academia de Balompié Boliviano Club 31 de Octubre Internacional de La Paz | |
Hernando Siles Stadium (Spanish:Estadio Hernando Siles,[esˈtaðjoeɾˈnandoˈsiles]), also known asEstadio Olímpico La Paz, is amulti-purpose stadium inLa Paz,Bolivia. It is the country's largest stadium, with a capacity of 41,143 seats. It is named afterHernando Siles Reyes (1882–1942), the 31stPresident of Bolivia (1926–1930). Its biggest attendance was in 03/03/1989 during the match betweenBolivar andDanubio, with 60,000 fans in attendance. (Copa Libertadores)
The stadium is located in theMiraflores borough of La Paz, at an altitude of 3,582 meters (11,752 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest professional stadiums in the world.[2] Opened in 1930, it is the home ground of three major Bolivian league football clubs;Club Bolívar,The Strongest andLa Paz F.C., as well as several smaller top sides:Universitario de La Paz,Chaco Petrolero andMariscal Braun. The stadium also hosts lower league clubs:Fraternidad Tigres andAcademia de Balompié Boliviano.
The stadium was officially opened on 16 January 1930 with a match betweenThe Strongest and its classic rival,Universitario, with The Strongest winning 4–1.[3]
The stadium hosted some games of the1963 South American Championship, which Bolivia won. TheRecopa Sudamericana de Clubes was played here in 1970 betweenMariscal Santa Cruz andEl Nacional. In 1975, the stadium was rebuilt for the1977 Bolivarian Games.[4] After the rebuild, its capacity was doubled, and lighting was improved. In 2007, it became anall-seater stadium, and its capacity was reduced as a result.
Estadio Hernando Siles has been the site of significant moments in Bolivian football history, including Bolivia's 2–0 defeat ofBrazil, which was Brazil's first defeat in 40 years of playing the qualifiers, and 7–0 defeat ofVenezuela, both in the1994 World Cup qualifiers; these results eventually helped Bolivia to historically qualify for the1994 World Cup inUSA. The stadium also hosted Bolivia's games in the1997 Copa América, includingthe final, where Bolivia lost to Brazil.
Bolívar played the first leg of the2004 Copa Sudamericana Finals againstBoca Juniors at this stadium and won 1–0. However Boca eventually won the competition after a 2–0 win inLa Bombonera.
On 1 April 2009, BoliviadefeatedArgentina 6–1, inflicting the worst defeat for Argentina in 60 years.[5][6] 6 months later, on October 11 (in the same competition,2010 World Cup qualifiers), Bolivia defeated Brazil 2–1.
Until May 2007,FIFA, football's international governing body, accepted the stadium as a World Cup Qualifying venue, despite protests from visiting teams that the altitude gaveBolivia an unfair advantage against opponents who had only a few days toacclimatise before playing. On 27 May 2007, FIFA declared that no World Cup Qualifying matches could be played in stadiums above 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) above sea level.[7] Some, including Bolivian PresidentEvo Morales andDiego Maradona, reacted by claiming the new measure discriminated primarily against high-altitude nations in Latin America, especially those in theAndes.[8] The "Hernando Siles" became a symbol of the Bolivian struggle against FIFA's ban on games at high altitude. After a month of campaigning against the ban, FIFA raised the altitude limit from 2500 meters to 3000 meters on 27 June 2007. The next day, FIFA also announced a special exemption for the Estadio Hernando Siles, allowing the stadium to continue holding World Cup qualifying matches.[9]The ban was revoked in May 2008.
During the 2006, 2010,2014 and2018 World Cup qualifiers, Bolivia had fourteen home wins and ten home draws, and only two away draws and no away wins.
In 2017,Neymar posted photos ofBrazil players with oxygen masks before their2018 World Cup qualification game in the stadium and commented that it is "inhumane" to play under those conditions.[10]
Mexican pop groupRBD kicked-off theirGira del Adiós World Tour at the stadium on November 1, 2008.
Enrique Iglesias held a concert at the stadium on July 2, 2011, during hisEuphoria Tour.
American rock bandGuns N' Roses played a concert at the stadium on April 12, 2014, during their South American tour.
Media related toEstadio Hernando Siles at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by | Copa América Final Venue 1997 | Succeeded by |
16°29′58″S68°07′22″W / 16.49944°S 68.12278°W /-16.49944; -68.12278