<\/p>\n

Key facts<\/h3>\n

Club: none | Opening: 1952 | Capacity: 45,000 seats<\/p>\n

History and description<\/h3>\n

Estadio Nacional got built in the early 1950s and was part of a series of large infrastructure projects instigated by then-President of the country Manuel A. Odr\u00eda.<\/p>\n

The stadium officially opened on 27 October 1952 with a friendly international between the national teams of Peru and Bolivia (0-1).<\/p>\n

Estadio Nacional was still largely uncovered back then, had an athletics track, and could hold just under 50,000 spectators.<\/p>\n

In 1964, Estadio Nacional was the site of one of the worst stadium disasters<\/a> in history, which happened during a Peru vs Argentina international. When the referee cancelled a goal toward the end of the match, riots broke out, which led to the police firing tear gas in the stands. The resulting stampede resulted in the death of over 300 fans.<\/p>\n

While capacity got slightly reduced following the disaster, the stadium remained pretty much the same until a major redevelopment program was started in the late 2000s.<\/p>\n

Between 2009 and 2011, rows of private boxes were added on top of the stands, a new roof and exterior were put up, and seats and internal facilities were upgraded. The stadium was reinaugurated on 24 July 2011.<\/p>\n

Estadio Nacional is the standard playing venue of the Peruvian national team. While it hasn’t got a permanent club occupant, it regularly hosts high-profile games of local teams such as Sporting Cristal.<\/p>\n

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