10 iconic sporting venues

Soak up the sporting heritage at the city’s most legendary sites.

1. One of the world’s most legendary stadiums

Boca Juniors’ Bombonera stadium, so named because it looks like a box of chocolates, is the place where Diego Maradona made his name and a venue renowned for its unparalleled atmosphere, which owes much to the proximity of the crowd to the pitch. The stadium was inaugurated in 1940 in the colourful neighbourhood of La Boca and is a must-visit for any football fan.

2. And the arch-rival’s home ground

Boca Juniors’ arch-rival is River Plate, which was originally based in the same neighbourhood but soon moved to the other end of the city in Nuñez, at the Estadio Monumental. This stadium, one of the biggest in Latin America, was inaugurated in 1938 and renovated several times, taking its current form in 1978 when it hosted the World Cup final, which Argentina won. It’s hosted Argentina’s home games ever since.   

3. The “cathedral”

Argentina is known for having the best polo players in the world, and it’s only fitting that the country’s most important venue for the game should have similarly mythical status. The Argentine Polo Ground in one of the most affluent areas of the Palermo neighbourhood is known internationally as the cathedral of polo, site for the annual Argentine Open Championship, as well as tournaments of Argentina’s national sport, pato.  

4. The Belle Époque racecourse

The first formal venue for horse racing in Buenos Aires opened in 1876, generating a revolution in the city. Extra trams and trains were laid on for the opening but still couldn’t cope with the sheer number of people who wanted to attend. In 1908, the original structure was replaced with a stunning classic Belle Époque entrance and stands that saw a golden age in which important local personalities like Carlos Gardel were regular visitors, and still give the venue its grandeur today.

5. Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis

Founded in 1892, this traditional, elegant tennis club continues to host major events such as the Argentina Open in the heart of Palermo, with space for 5,500 spectators.  

6. The park with many sports

A complex of sporting venues in the south of the city includes the Mary Terán de Weiss stadium, opened in 2004 as a multipurpose venue, but mainly dedicated to tennis. With capacity for 14,500 spectators, the venue has hosted the Davis Cup as well as other events – there are also volleyball courts, basketball courts and football pitches.  principalmente de vinculado al tenis. Con capacidad para 14.500 espectadores, es la sede donde habitualmente se juega la Copa Davis.

7. The brothers’ race track

More than 20 Formula 1 competitions were held at this venue, as well as motorcycling and other races. The venue opened in 1952 during the presidency of Juan Domingo Perón, who named the race track 17 de Octubre to commemorate an important date for his political party. After several name changes for political reasons, in 1989 the venue was finally renamed Oscar and Juan Gálvez in memory of the sporting brothers who together won 14 titles from the 1940s to 1960s.

8. The palace of boxing

Occupying a whole block in the very centre of the the downtown financial district, Luna Park is a legendary sporting venue at which many of Argentina’s most famous boxers, the likes of Carlos Monzón, Ringo Bonavena, Nicolino Locche and Pascual Pérez, appeared in the ring. Although the venue’s known as the Palace of Sports, it’s also hosted religious gatherings, political rallies, rock concerts, the funeral of tango singer Carlos Gardel and even the wedding of Diego Maradona!

9. The walk of glory

With the belief that talent should be celebrated during sporting stars’ own lifetimes, the open-air Walk of Glory sculpture trail was created facing the southern riverside to celebrate some of Argentina’s biggest sporting icons. Along the trail you can find statues of basketball legend Manu Ginóbili, tennis stars Guillermo Vilas and Gabriela Sabatini, racing driver Fangio, and of course the G.O.A.T. Lionel Messi.

10. The Olympic village

Located in the south of the city, surrouded by 49 hectares of parkland, including the extensive Parque de la Ciudad, is the Olympic Village created for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. This competition brings around 4,000 of the world’s best young athletes to Buenos Aires.    

Bonus. The city’s sports museums

As well as the venues themselves, the city boasts a range of sporting museums, from iconic clubs to intriguing curiosities. Here are six recommendations:

• River Plate Museum.
• Boca Juniors Museum.
• Jacobo Urso Museum (Club San Lorenzo).
• Argentinos Juniors Museum.
• Automobile Club Museum.
• Museo del Automóvil.

The biggest tickets

• Boca and River usually play at home every two Sundays during the football season. Of course, the biggest ticket of all is when they clash, at least twice every season, in perhaps the world’s greatest rivalry match, known as the superclásico.  
• The Argentine Open Polo Championship, the world’s most important interclub polo competitions, takes place every year from November to early December.
• The biggest horse racing meet in Argentina is the Gran Premio Nacional de Palermo, which takes place every November.