Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Football stadium in Quito, Ecuador.
Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa is a football stadium in Quito with approximately 35,000 seats located at an elevation of 2,780 meters (9,120 feet), serving as home to several clubs. The venue features extensive seating areas and regularly hosts domestic and international matches.
Quito's municipality promoted the project, and the company Menatlas Quito began construction in May 1948 with 300 workers. The stadium opened on 25 November 1951 as Estadio Olímpico Municipal de El Batán with a friendly quadrangular tournament. It was renamed Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in 1963, and in 1977 the structure was extended toward the eastern side.
The stadium's name honours the Inca emperor Atahualpa, chosen in 1963 after the Concentración Deportiva de Pichincha rejected proposals naming past athletes. Its administrator, the Concentración Deportiva de Pichincha, holds the venue under concession from the Municipality of Quito. The women's national team and clubs El Nacional, Universidad Católica and Deportivo Quito play here.
The stadium sits at the intersection of Avenida 6 de Diciembre and Avenida Naciones Unidas, making it relatively easy to locate. Visitors should be aware that the elevation of 2,780 meters (9,120 feet) can be demanding for those with respiratory sensitivity.
Ecuador was unbeaten at this stadium in the 2006 and 2014 World Cup qualifying campaigns, a run Brazil ended with a 3-0 win in 2018 qualifying. The ground also hosted the 1-1 draw with Uruguay that sent Ecuador to its first World Cup.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,576 contributors worldwide.