Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica (2011) facts for kids
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La Joya de La Sabana
"The Jewel of The Savanna" |
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| Location | San José |
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| Coordinates | 9°56′11″N 84°6′28″W / 9.93639°N 84.10778°W |
| Owner | Government of Costa Rica |
| Capacity | 42.000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Yes |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2008 |
| Built | 2009–2011 |
| Opened | March 26, 2011 |
| Construction cost | US$110 million |
| General contractor | Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group |
| Tenants | |
| Costa Rica national football team (2011–present) | |
The National Stadium of Costa Rica (Spanish: Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica) is a huge sports and event center in La Sabana Metropolitan Park, San José, Costa Rica. It was the first modern stadium of its kind built in Central America. The stadium was finished in early 2011 and opened on March 26 of that year. It can hold 42,000 people. This stadium replaced an older National Stadium that was built 100 years ago. It is the main home for the Costa Rican national football team.
The stadium has a large, high-definition video screen in the southern part. It also has two smaller, black-and-white screens, one in the south and one in the north.
This stadium has hosted important football events. These include matches for the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. It even hosted the opening games and finals for both of these big tournaments.
The Estadio Nacional also hosted the first show of Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour. This was partly because Costa Rica is known for being environmentally friendly.
Contents
How the Stadium Was Built and Paid For
The stadium cost about $110 million to build.
In 2007, the President of Costa Rica, Óscar Arias, visited China. During his visit, he asked China if they could help fund a new stadium for Costa Rica. The Chinese government agreed and paid for the entire construction, including all the furniture and general costs.
The old National Stadium was taken down on May 12, 2008. This happened after a football match and a 200-meter race. Construction on the new stadium began on March 12, 2009, and it was completed in 2011.
A Chinese company called Anhui Foreign Economic Construction was in charge of building the stadium. About 800 Chinese workers came to Costa Rica to help with the construction.
Grand Opening Events
The stadium had a big opening ceremony on March 26, 2011. Many national and international sports and entertainment events took place until April 10. A special website was made to tell everyone about all the exciting opening events.
The main event was a friendly football match between the Costa Rica team and the China team. The game ended in a 2–2 tie. Álvaro Saborío scored the very first goal ever in the new stadium.
In 2011, the Costa Rican Football Federation invested a lot to make Costa Rican football more famous worldwide. They arranged friendly matches against famous teams like Argentina, Brazil, and Spain. Spain had just won the FIFA World Cup at that time.
Major Football Tournaments Hosted
The Estadio Nacional has been home to several important football tournaments.
2013 Copa Centroamericana
The stadium hosted all 14 matches of the 2013 Copa Centroamericana. This tournament brought together national teams from Central America. Costa Rica won the final match against Honduras with a score of 1-0.
2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
The Estadio Nacional hosted nine games for the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. This included the opening game, some group matches, quarter-finals, the third-place match, and the final. Japan won the final match, beating Spain 2-0.
2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
The stadium hosted eighteen games for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. This included many group matches, quarter-finals, semi-finals, the third-place match, and the final. Spain won the final match, beating Japan 3-1.
Concerts and Shows
Many famous artists and bands have performed at the Estadio Nacional. It's a popular spot for big concerts in Costa Rica. Some of the well-known performers include:
- Shakira (2011)
- Miley Cyrus (2011)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers (2011, 2023)
- Lady Gaga (2012)
- Paul McCartney (2014)
- Metallica (2016)
- Guns N' Roses (2016)
- Justin Bieber (2017)
- Bruno Mars (2017)
- Roger Waters (2018, 2023)
- Coldplay (2022)
- Daddy Yankee (2022)
- Bad Bunny (2022, 2025)
- Karol G (2024)
These concerts often draw tens of thousands of fans, making the stadium a lively place for music lovers.
Fire Incident
During the opening ceremony of the 2013 Central American Games, a small fire broke out. A stray firework hit the stadium roof. It damaged some lighting equipment, but the stadium was still safe to use for the rest of the Games.
Images for kids
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A wide view of the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in March 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica para niños
