La Bombonera

Lore & Background

The stadium is widely regarded as one of the most iconic stadiums in the world due to its design, the club's history and its intense atmosphere, and it has been host to many noteworthy players in football, including Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Alfredo Di Stéfano, and Pelé. It has been declared of public interest by the government of Argentine capital Buenos Aires. The stadium is also used as a concert venue. Past performers at La Bombonera have included Lenny Kravitz, Elton John, James Blunt, and the Backstreet Boys. The unusual shape of the stadium gives it excellent acoustics. The stadium was named on April 20, 1986, by team President Antonio Alegre in honor of Camilo Cichero, a former team president under whose tenure work on La Bombonera began. It was renamed on December 27, 2000, by team President Mauricio Macri in honor of Alberto Armando, team president during its resurgence during the 1960s as well as a former business partner of his father Francisco Macri.

In Their Own Story

The engine note fades into the distance as the Mercedes-AMG Petronas car cools down after a session at the Autódromo. The driver steps out, helmet tucked under arm, and walks toward the La Boca district. From the streets, a low rumble vibrates through the soles of his boots—not from an engine, but from thousands of voices chanting in unison. He looks up to see the vertical stands of La Bombonera glowing under the afternoon sun, a monument to passion that rivals any trophy on display.

Reader's Guide

La Bombonera currently has a gross capacity of 58,305, which results in around 57,200 seats being available for games. The club's popularity makes tickets hard to get, especially for the Superclásico derby against River Plate. Out of its capacity of 49,000, there are 37,538 seats, 2,780 in boxes, and 8,682 standing. Both its interior and exterior are lined with a number of murals painted by the artist Pérez Celis depicting many of the club's legendary players and aspects of the district's culture, such as the lives of Italian immigrants. In 1996, a small stand was built on the fourth side, which had been largely open until then, except for some VIP boxes. Diego Maradona, who played for and supported Boca Juniors, had his own executive box at the stadium. There are three parking lots at the stadium for members.

Did You Know?

• The nickname 'La Bombonera' originated when architect Viktor Sulčič used a chocolate box to show the stadium's shape to colleagues.
• The stadium's first official name was 'Camilo Cichero', given on April 20, 1986, before being renamed to Estadio Alberto José Armando on December 27, 2000.
• The stadium opened on May 25, 1940, with a friendly match between Boca Juniors and San Lorenzo, which Boca won 2–0.
• An electronic screen was installed in 2008, making it the third venue in Argentina with this technology after River Plate (1996) and Boca Juniors (2008), with Vélez Sársfield following in 2009.