History and description

In the early decades of the 20th century, River Plate occupied various grounds spread over Buenos Aires. As their supporters rapidly grew in number in the early 1930s, the board decided to build a new stadium. A plot of land was bought in the Belgrano area in 1935, and construction started two years later. The North Stand was not built until many more years after that, because the construction budget was insufficient.

On 26 May 1938, the Monumental—an open-air stadium in Buenos Aires—officially opened with a friendly match between River and Uruguayan side Peñarol. The official ceremonies were attended by representatives from both clubs and the Argentine government. The stadium was hailed as a symbol of Argentina's progress and national pride.

In 1958, the club finally had the funds to complete the construction of the North Stand. As a result of this, the stadium could hold about 100,000 fans.

In 1977, the El Monumental underwent further development when a second tier was added to the North Stand. However, changes at the lower tiers reduced capacity to 76,600.

The Monumental stadium was the centrepiece venue of the 1978 World Cup. It hosted three matches during the first group phase and another three in the second group phase. The match for third place and the final between Argentina and Holland were held there (3-1).

In 1986, Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti was renamed El Monumental in honour of the president who initiated its construction. The stadium has remained relatively unchanged since then.

The Estadio Monumental is the stadium where Argentina's national team most often plays their home matches.

(photos of the present Estadio Monumental below)

How to get to El Monumental

El Monumental Stadium is located north of Buenos Aires in Belgrano area. It is close to the banks of Rio de la Plata and about 9 kilometers from city's business center (Microcentro) and about 5 kilometers from popular nightlife area Palermo. Take the first left onto Avenida Perón. Take the second left onto Avenida General Belgrano. The stadium is on your right.

Retiro bus and train station is the best place to start if you're looking to get to the stadium. Local commuter trains (Ferrovias) can take you there quickly, and it's only a 5-minute walk from the station.

Other train services from Retiro go to the stations Belgrano and Nuñez. The walk from either station takes about 20 minutes.

There are several buses (collectivos) that pass the stadium. Colectivo 29 goes past Plaza de Mayo (Microcentro), Avenida Córdoba, and runs through Palermo on Güemes street. Get off at the crossing of Avenida de Libertador and Quesada. Colectivo 15 runs along Avenida Santa Fé in Palermo. Get off at the same point.

Other subway lines that connect to the stadium are Line 28, Line 42, Line 107, and Line 130, though none from central places.

Address: Figueroa Alcorta, 7597 Capital Federal

Eat, drink, and sleep near El Monumental

The Monumental Stadium is located in a generally well-off residential area mainly consisting of houses and large apartment blocks. There will be the odd bar and restaurant near the stadium, and quite a few eating and drinking options towards central Belgrano, e.g. on the Avenida Cabildo (where the metro runs). There are a few hotels not far away from El Monumental Stadium. River House Bed & Breakfast is only a few blocks away, while Cristal Palace Hotel, Sarum Hotel Design, and Ker Belgrano Apart & Spa are decent options near the Avenida Cabildo.

Alternatively, you can stay in the Palermo area, one of the principal nightlife areas of the city, which is quite affordable (or you can catch the metro or a bus).

River Plate Tickets

Tickets for River games can generally be bought from one or two days before the match from the ticket windows (bolserias) of Estadio Monumental. However, tickets for club members go on general sale after those for members have been sold. River does tend to sell out a reasonable number of high-profile games.

Ticket prices depend on the match, but tend to range from AR$250.00 for an upper-tier seat at one of the curves to AR$700.00 for a middle-tier seat at one of the long sides.

Email [email protected] for more information.

El Monumental stadium tours

The museum offers exhibits on the history of the club, as well as players and coaches. River tours are available around El Monumental Stadium. The stadium also houses the River Museum, which offers exhibits on the history of the club as well as players and coaches. Tours run from Monday to Sunday at eleven in the morning and five at night, but are subject to availability. If you want to book, it's not necessary, but you can do so online.

The tour + museum cost AR$210.00, the museum only AR$150.00.

Relevant Internet links

The official website of Club Atlético River Plate is cariverplate.com, while the website of the city of Buenos Aires is bu.gov.ar. Finally, comoviajo.com provides a public transport journey planner. The game was okay and the stadium was full of people. There was no support since the main group is banned after the Boca trouble last year. The stadium is old but amazing. Every few minutes you can see a plane landing.

The game was played and the stadium was full of people. There wasn't much support because the main group that was supposed to play didn't show up, which happened last year with Boca. The stadium is old but it's amazing. You can see planes landing every few minutes.