Colombia Stadiums: Atanasio Girardot Stadium, Medellín
Atanasio Girardot Stadium, Medellín
Atanasio Girardot (Estadio Atanasio Girardot) is the third largest stadium in Colombia after Estadio Deportivo Cali and Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla. It is named after Atanasio Girardot (1791-1813), a Colombian lawyer, revolutionary and associate of Simón Bolívar.
Located in the Laureles district of Medellín, it serves as the home ground of both Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín. The stadium currently holds around 44,826 spectators. The ground has also staged matches of the Colombian national team and a number of concerts including recent gigs by Bad Bunny and Shakira.
Capacity & History
The stadium dates from 1953 and was refurbished for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup to around its present capacity of 44,826.
It was renovated again in 2021 in preparation for the 2021 Copa América, a tournament that was moved at short notice to Brazil.
There are plans to increase the capacity in the near future to about 60,000 and make other improvements to the dressing rooms, press boxes, toilets and seating.
The stadium forms part of the larger Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex which has facilities for martial arts, handball, gymnastics, and basketball.
There are also tours of the stadium available for visitors.
Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín
Nicknamed 'El Verde' or 'Los Verdolagas', Atlético Nacional play their home games at the stadium. The club was founded in 1947 and play in a predominately all green kit with white vertical stripes on the home shirts.
Atlético is the most successful football club in Colombia in terms of total trophies won and also has the largest fan base in the country.
Some famous players to have represented the club include keeper René Higuita, Andrés Escobar, Argentinian defender José Luis Brown, Faustino Asprilla, who played in England with Newcastle United between 1996 and 1998, striker Juan Pablo Ángel, who also had a productive spell in England at Villa Park from 2001 to 2007, stopper Iván Córdoba who went on to have a long career with Inter in Italy and David Ospina who spent five years in goal at The Emirates with Premier League Arsenal.
Independiente Medellín
Local rivals Independiente Medellín (El Rojo Paisa) share Atanasio Girardot with Atlético and also a bitter, sometimes violent derby, the El Clásico Paisa.
The club dates from 1913 and is the second oldest in Colombia after Deportivo Cali.
The team play in red shirts and navy shorts and have so far won the Colombian title 9 times compared to over 30 for Atlético.
Some famous players to wear the colors include striker Adolfo ('El tren') Valencia, Paraguayan keeper Aldo Bobadilla, who also managed the team for a short spell and 1960s star Hector Echeverri, who holds the appearance record for the club.
Access
The Estadio Metro station on Line B is located directly adjacent to the stadium complex. The stadium itself lies south of the large Parque Natural Cerro El Volador.
Address: Carrera 74# 48-010, Medellín
Accessibility
The stadium has designated wheelchair seating areas, accessible entrances, and is close to the Estadio Metro station.
Hotels in Colombia
Find Hotels in Medellín
Accommodation options in the city include the 4-star Landmark Hotel, the Lettera Hotel, also with 4 stars, and the Soul Lifestyle Hotel complete with spa and wellness centre, sauna, fitness centre, sun terrace, and outdoor swimming pool.
See a selection of available hotels in Medellín.
Stadiums in Central & South America
Akron (Mexico)
Azteca (Mexico)
Maracana (Brazil)
Monterrey (Mexico)
Morumbi (Brazil)
Gerardo Lara Guerrero Caraz (Peru)
Yappy Park (Panama)
Buy tickets for soccer matches around the world