BUENOS AIRES (AP) — After River Plate presented a project to roof its Monumental stadium, its rival Boca Juniors announced that it will expand the capacity of its mythical “Bombonera” stadium, in what will be the biggest remodeling work in its almost 90 years of history.
Renovations will cost between 50 and 60 million dollars and will increase the capacity of the stadium located in the La Boca neighborhood from 57,000 to 80,000 spectators.
“La Bombonera is not being moved. A new stadium is not being built. It is being expanded while respecting its identity,” the popular Argentine club explained in the project’s executive summary, which was given to the press during the presentation of the work late Tuesday.
The expansion of the “Bombonera,” as the Alberto J. Armando stadium is popularly known for its resemblance to a box of marshmallows, is a long-standing demand of the club’s fans. Currently, less than half of the 126,000 active members can attend league and international tournament matches. For the the rest of fans who are not members, access is prohibited.
Two months ago, River Plate announced plans to build a roof on its stadium and expand capacity to more than 100,000 in preparation for the 2030 World Cup. The venue will host matches at that tournament, which for the first time in history will have six co-host nations from three different continents: Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay from the Americas; Spain and Portugal from Europe; and Morocco from Africa.
Boca announced that the work will begin during the 2026 World Cup and will take at least two years.
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