Estadio José María Minella

Lore & Background

The stadium is named after renowned football player and manager José María Minella, a native of Mar del Plata and regarded as one of the most notable footballers of that city. Argentina was chosen as the host nation of the 1978 World Cup by FIFA in London, England on 6 July 1966, and Mar del Plata was selected as a venue. The stadium has the distinction of being the southernmost stadium to host a World Cup match. The organizing committee decided to build a new stadium on the same spot where the Mar del Plata hippodrome had been located 40 years earlier. Construction began in 1975 and the stadium was opened on May 21, 1978, with a friendly match between a team formed by players from Mar del Plata and another one with players from Tandil. The sports journalist Mario Trucco proposed the name to honour José María Minella, a renowned former midfielder from Mar del Plata, who played during the 1930s and 1940s for River Plate and the Argentina national football team, and later River Plate manager from 1945 to 1959. During the 1978 World Cup Mar del Plata hosted six FIFA World Cup matches. In 1985 the stadium hosted the New Zealand rugby team; the All Blacks returned in 1991. On February 24, 1993, the stadium hosted the Intercontinental Cup for Nations (Artemio Franchi Trophy) between Argentina and Denmark. From March 12 to March 26, 1995, Mar del Plata hosted the 12th Pan American Games, and the José María Minella was venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the football tournament. In 2015, local club Aldosivi was promoted to the Primera División and has since used this stadium for its home matches, along with Alvarado. On September 24, 2021, the Municipal Sports and Recreation Entity disabled the covered stalls due to structural flaws. In February 2023, the Municipality of General Pueyrredón requested a report from the National University of Mar del Plata for a technical evaluation of the roofed grandstand, but the cost of AR$13 million led to it being discarded. In 2025, the municipality announced a call for bids to refurbish the stadium; in August 2025, concession was granted to Minella Stadium S.A., with an investment of USD40 million. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) would also take part in the agreement, using the stadium as venue for the Argentina national team.

In Their Own Story

The salty breeze of Mar del Plata carried the roar of thousands as the sun began to set over the Atlantic. Inside Estadio Minella, the air was thick with anticipation and the rhythmic drumming of local supporters. The Argentina National Team stepped onto the grass, their white shirts glowing under the floodlights, ready to face a crucial qualifier. Every pass echoed against the concrete stands, where generations of families had gathered to sing 'Gloria' in unison.

Reader's Guide

The José María Minella offers parking lots for 250 cars, a 590 m2 lounge and 245 m2 VIP area, conference room and two 550 m2 gyms. It is part of the Teodoro Bronzini Municipal Sports Park, a 35 hectares area with several sport venues, including the Polideportivo Islas Malvinas, the Julio Polet Municipal Velodrome, the Pan American Field Hockey Stadium, the Alberto Zorrilla Natatorium, the Justo Roman Athletic stadium and the Patinódromo Municipal. The stadium hosted six matches during the 1978 FIFA World Cup, all matches of Group F during the 2001 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and has hosted rugby union matches including the 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens. Other sporting events include Torneos de Verano (1979–2019), the 1995 Pan American Games, the 1999 South American U-20 Championship, and the 2006 South American Women's Football Championship. Music concerts have featured artists such as Almendra (1980), Charly García (1984), Queen (1981), Rod Stewart (1989), Soda Stereo (1992), Luis Miguel (1994), La Renga (2006), Duran Duran (2007), Callejeros (2010), Joaquín Sabina (2010) and Ricardo Arjona (2015).

Did You Know?

• The stadium is the southernmost stadium to have hosted a FIFA World Cup match.
• It was built on the site of the former Mar del Plata hippodrome.
• The stadium hosted the 1993 Artemio Franchi Trophy between Argentina and Denmark.
• It was the main venue for the 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens.