Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium, Football stadium in Chateau Carreras, Córdoba, Argentina.
Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium is a football arena in Chateau Carreras, Córdoba, Argentina, offering space for roughly 60,000 spectators. The playing surface sits four meters below ground level, while a continuous roof protects all stands and modern screens hang above the seating tiers.
Built by the Argentine state for the 1978 World Cup, the stadium was inaugurated on 16 May 1978 with a match between Argentina and a Córdoba select XI. Its first World Cup game, Peru's 3–1 win over Scotland, followed on 3 June. In October 2010 the Córdoba Legislature renamed it after Mario Alberto Kempes, top scorer of that tournament, born in Bell Ville.
The stadium is named after Mario Alberto Kempes, born in Bell Ville, Córdoba, top scorer of the 1978 World Cup. The name change was pushed by journalist Claudio Martín Menditto in a 2008 article titled "Un homenaje para El Matador". The four stands honour Córdoba club figures: Willington, Artime, Gasparini and Ardiles.
The stadium stands on Avenida Ramón Cárcano, near the Circunvalación ring road, about 10 km from central Córdoba in the Chateau Carreras neighbourhood. The field lies four metres below ground level, so upper rows give the clearer view. The venue is shared by Talleres, Belgrano, Instituto and Racing, so check which club is playing before travelling.
In 2006 and 2007, the grounds transformed into a track for special stages of Rally Argentina, with racing cars driving through the interior of the facility. This unusual use drew motorsport fans who rarely visited football arenas otherwise.
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