Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos

El Nacional, El Coloso de Ñuñoa
Former names	Estadio Nacional (1938–2008)
Location	Av. Grecia 2001, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
Coordinates	33°27′52″S 70°36′38″W / 33.46444°S 70.61056°W / -33.46444; -70.61056
Public transit	at Estadio Nacional
Owner	Municipality of Ñuñoa
Operator	Chiledeportes
Capacity	48,665 (60,000+ in concerts)
Record attendance	85,268 (Universidad de Chile–Universidad Católica, 29 December 1962)
Field size	105 m x 68 m
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1937; 88 years ago (1937)
Opened	December 3, 1938; 86 years ago (1938-12-03)
Renovated	2009–10
Expanded	1962
Reopened	September 12, 2010; 14 years ago (2010-09-12)
Construction cost	$18,000,000
Architect	Francisco Romero
Tenants
Chile national football team Universidad de Chile Palestino Santiago Morning Deportes Recoleta Deportes Melipilla Real Juventud San Joaquín Municipal Santiago Gremio de Santiago Selknam (rugby club)

The Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos is the biggest stadium in Chile. It is located in the Ñuñoa area of Santiago. This stadium can hold 48,665 people.

It is part of a huge sports complex that covers 62 hectares (about 153 acres). This complex also has tennis courts, a swimming center, a modern gym, a velodrome (for cycling), a BMX track, and an athletics track.

Construction of the stadium started in February 1937. It officially opened on December 3, 1938. Its design was inspired by the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. The stadium was one of the places where the 1962 FIFA World Cup games were played. It even hosted the final match where Brazil won against Czechoslovakia 3–1.

In 2009, plans were made to make the stadium and its surrounding areas more modern. The stadium was used for the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, and football during the 2014 South American Games. It will also be used for the 2023 Pan American Games.

History of the Stadium

The stadium was built on land that a farmer named Jose Domingo Cañas gave away in 1918. The very first sports event at the new stadium was on December 3, 1938. It was a friendly football game between the Chilean team Colo-Colo and the Brazilian team São Cristóvão. Colo-Colo won the game 6–3.

This stadium has hosted many important football tournaments. These include the 1941, 1945, and 1955 South American Football Championships. It also hosted games for the 1991 and 2015 Copa América.

In the early 1960s, the stadium was made bigger for the 1962 FIFA World Cup. The cycling track around the stadium was removed and more seats were added. This increased its capacity to about 95,000 people.

The stadium hosted several exciting matches during the 1962 World Cup. This included a famous game between Italy and Chile, known as the "Battle of Santiago." The stadium also held a quarter-final, a semi-final, the third-place play-off, and the final. In the third-place game, Chile won 1–0 against Yugoslavia, which was a big achievement for the team.

Today, the stadium is the home field for Chile's national football team and the club Universidad de Chile. It also hosts many other events like concerts and charity shows. Since 1995, it has been the final location for the Telethon, a 28-hour TV event that raises money for charity.

On July 5, 2008, the stadium was officially renamed Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos. This was done to honor a sports journalist who had recently passed away.

The Stadium as a Detention Center

Estadio Nacional de Chile after the 1973 Chilean coup d'état

After a military takeover in Chile on September 11, 1973, the stadium was used as a place to hold many people. More than 40,000 people were held there during this time. The football field and stands were used for men, while women were held in the swimming pool changing rooms. Other areas like locker rooms were also used as prison facilities.

The Red Cross estimated that at one point, about 7,000 prisoners were at the stadium. Some of these were from other countries.

The international football organization, FIFA, wanted the USSR team to play a World Cup qualifying game there. However, the USSR team refused to play at the stadium because of its use as a detention center. Because of this, Chile automatically qualified for the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

The stadium's use during this period is shown in films like the 2002 documentary Estadio Nacional and the 2007 Swedish film The Black Pimpernel. The 1982 film Missing also shows events from this time at the stadium.

In 2011, a special part of the stadium, an old wooden seating area called "Escotilla 8," was set aside to remember the people who were held there. It is surrounded by a fence.

Stadium Renovations

Marcelo Salas farewell match, June 2, 2009

On June 15, 2009, President Michelle Bachelet announced big plans to modernize the stadium. The goal was to make it one of the most modern stadiums in South America. The plans included adding a roof over all the seats and installing individual seats throughout the stadium. This would lower the capacity to 47,000. A new, modern scoreboard was also planned.

The stadium was closed on August 15, 2009, for these changes. It was officially reopened on September 12, 2010, during Chile's 200th anniversary celebrations.

On September 12, 2010, President Sebastián Piñera announced that the stadium's capacity would be increased to 70,000 seats for the 2014 South American Games.

On June 3, 2011, more plans were shared. The entire area around the stadium was to be turned into a park called "Citizenry Park." Most of this new 64-hectare park would be green spaces. New sports venues were also planned for the 2014 games, including modern gyms and a renovated velodrome.

Stadium Attendance Records

The highest number of people ever at a match at Estadio Nacional was 85,268. This was for a football game on December 29, 1962. In that game, Universidad de Chile beat Universidad Catolica 4–1.

In recent years, for the 2016–17 season, Universidad de Chile had an average of about 30,000 to 33,000 fans at their home league games.

1962 FIFA World Cup Matches

Estadio Nacional hosted ten games during the 1962 FIFA World Cup, including the final matches.

Date	Time (UTC−04)	Team No. 1	Res.	Team No. 2	Round	Attendance
30 May 1962	15:00	Chile	3–1	Switzerland	Group 3	65,006
31 May 1962	15:00	West Germany	0–0	Italy	Group 3	65,440
2 June 1962	15:00	Chile	2–0	Italy	Group 3	66,057
3 June 1962	15:00	West Germany	2–1	Switzerland	Group 3	64,922
6 June 1962	15:00	West Germany	2–0	Chile	Group 3	67,224
7 June 1962	15:00	Italy	3–0	Switzerland	Group 3	59,828
10 June 1962	14:30	Yugoslavia	1–0	West Germany	Quarter-finals	63,324
13 June 1962	14:30	Brazil	4–2	Chile	Semi-finals	76,594
16 June 1962	14:30	Chile	1–0	Yugoslavia	Third place play-off	66,697
17 June 1962	14:30	Brazil	3–1	Czechoslovakia	Final	68,679

Concerts and Events

The Estadio Nacional is a popular place for many international and national concerts throughout the year. In 1977, Spanish singer Julio Iglesias performed there. Years later, in 1989, Rod Stewart had what is considered the first big rock concert by an international artist at the stadium. Over 80,000 fans came to see him.

In 2001, the Chilean band Los Prisioneros was the first group to perform two nights in a row at the stadium. Madonna was the first international artist to do the same in 2008. In 2022, Puerto Rican star Daddy Yankee sold out three concerts in one day. The British band Coldplay even scheduled four concerts in a row as part of the same tour!

Some concerts at the stadium have been recorded and released for people to buy. For example, the show by Cuban folk singer Silvio Rodríguez in 1990 was released as a 2-CD set. The English heavy metal band Iron Maiden recorded their show in April 2011, which was later released as En Vivo!

In 2008, Madonna was the first international artist to perform two concerts in two consecutive days in the stadium since 1990. Pictured, the second show of her Sticky & Sweet Tour in the venue.

The U2 360° Tour became the biggest stage structure built inside the stadium to date.

Stadium Capacity Over Time

When the stadium was built in 1937, it could hold 48,000 people. Some people thought it was too big and would never be full.

For the 1962 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was made larger. The cycling track was removed, and more seats were added. This increased the seating capacity to 74,000, with space for over 80,000 people in total. Over the years, the number of seats was reduced to make sure there were clear escape routes and to prevent accidents.

For the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics, individual seats were installed. This brought the capacity down to 66,000 people. This change helped control the number of people inside. For example, during a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1987, it was believed that over 90,000 people attended. However, it was hard to get an exact count because entry was free. As of 2014, the official capacity of the stadium is 48,665.

See also

In Spanish: Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos para niños