Alsina y Colón Stadium

The history of Estadio de Alsina y Colón reaches back to the early decades of organised football in Argentina and is closely tied to Racing Club of Avellaneda and to the beginnings of South American international competition.

Construction and opening

The stadium was built as the home ground of the club Racing in Avellaneda and held 50,000 spectators. The name Alsina y Colón referred to the streets at whose junction the ground stood; it was officially known as Estadio de Racing Club.

Major renovations

The most significant change in the venue's history was the move of Racing to the newly built El Cilindro stadium, constructed on the very same plot. With this step Estadio de Alsina y Colón ceased to exist and its role as the club's home ground passed to the modern arena that stands on the site today.

Notable moments

The most significant moment in the stadium's history was its role as one of two host venues of the very first edition of the Copa América in 1916, staged alongside the GEBA Stadium. This continental tournament, which in time became the oldest international football competition for national teams still contested, secured the ground a lasting place in the history of South American football.

The atmosphere at Estadio de Alsina y Colón reflected the passionate football culture of Avellaneda, one of the historic centres of Argentine football. The home matches of Racing Club drew devoted supporters who created the loud, emotional environment characteristic of early 20th-century Argentine football.

Fan culture

The club Racing is among the oldest and most popular in Argentina, and its supporters are renowned for their passion and vocal backing. Avellaneda, a city with a deep football tradition, lent the home matches at Alsina y Colón a powerful atmosphere full of song, chants and colour. From the outset football here was part of the daily life of the working-class community, and the stadium became a natural centre of club life.

Big matches

Historically the most significant matches played at the stadium were the fixtures of the inaugural 1916 Copa América, of which the ground was one of two host venues. Alongside these continental matches, the stadium was the stage for the regular home fixtures of Racing, which were among the highlights of the football calendar in Avellaneda.

Estadio de Alsina y Colón was located in Avellaneda on the southern edge of Buenos Aires in Argentina. The stadium no longer exists in its original form, having been replaced on the same plot by the modern El Cilindro stadium, today the home of Racing.

How to get there

• Location: Avellaneda is part of the Buenos Aires metropolitan area and is reachable by local transport from the centre of the Argentine capital.
• Current situation: The site of the original stadium is now occupied by El Cilindro, so visitors are chiefly drawn to this present-day arena.
• Orientation: The stadium stood at the junction of the Alsina and Colón streets, from which it took its name.

Tickets and tours

The original Estadio de Alsina y Colón no longer serves its purpose, so no tickets or tours are offered. Those interested in the football heritage of the site can visit its successor, the El Cilindro stadium, which hosts the home matches of Racing on the same plot.

Visitor tips

• Historical context: Bear in mind that this is a historic, now-vanished stadium replaced by the El Cilindro arena.
• Where to go? For the experience of live football in Avellaneda, head to the present-day home of Racing.
• What to remember? The stadium entered history as one of the hosts of the very first edition of the Copa América in 1916.
• Surroundings: Avellaneda is a traditional football district of Buenos Aires with a rich club history.