If something is not missing in the most glorious pages of world sports history, it is the signature of Argentine legends; figures such as Juan Manuel Fangio (in motorsports), Manuel Ginobili (in basketball), Gabriela Sabatini or Guillermo Vilas (in tennis), Luciana Aimar (in Hockey), Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona (in soccer), for example. case, marked a before and after of their extraordinary talents.
The tradition of sport and the competitive spirit are marked in the DNA of Argentines, which is why there is no shortage of high-flying shows in the city; with the added value provided by the recognized passion of the local fan, a fact verified internationally in the last World Cup in Qatar, where the team led by Lionel Messi became world champion for the third time in its history.
Next, a tour of the cathedrals of sport where events of maximum emotional tension can be found every week.
1. Boca Juniors Stadium (La Bombonera)
Not only Boca fans support the legend, but also some international media such as the English newspaper The Observer, in whose pages they stated that going to La Bombonera to watch a match between the local team and River Plate (its classic rival) is “the sporting experience.” most intense in the world”; or like The Sun, also British, which places this event at “number one among the 50 sports shows you have to see before you die.”
Although it is popularly known as La Bombonera, due to its shape similar to that of a box of chocolates, this stadium opened its doors in 1940 under the name Alberto J. Armando. It has an approximate capacity of 54 thousand spectators, three trays and is characterized by the short distance between the stands and the playing field.
Visiting this stadium on the date of La Liga or Copa Libertadores is also a trip to the very roots of Buenos Aires, precisely in the neighbourhood of La Boca, on that motley port riverbank that the painter Benito Quinquela Martín has turned into one of the most emblematic postcards of the country. The multicoloured tenements of the Italian immigrants who arrived in the post-war period, the cobblestones of the narrow streets, the tango notes of Caminito, the smoke from the chorizos on the street grills, the old workers' cantinas make this tour an experience that remains etched in memory.
2. River Plate Stadium (El Monumental)
Almost at the other end of the city, in the elegant and most modern neighbourhood of Núñez, is River Plate stadium, Boca Juniors' classic rival, which once, back in 1091, was a Rivera neighbourhood. Then the club was evicted and moved to the north of the city. El Monumental officially opened its doors on May 26, 1938, in the presence of 70 thousand people, an unthinkable number for football at that time. After several renovations, in 1978, it reached its current appearance to be the scene of the first world title won by the Argentine team. On November 29, 1986, the stadium was renamed after his mentor: Antonio Vespucio Liberti. In addition to football, this is usually the home of the most popular music shows in the industry, such as the various shows given here by the Rolling Stones, Roger Waters and Coldplay, to name just a few; or like those that Taylor Swift gave in this stadium on November 9, 10 and 11.
3. Campo Argentino de Polo
Much less popular than soccer, but perhaps even more successful, Argentine polo is historically the strongest in the world. The team won two gold medals in the Olympic Games and is the one that won the World Polo Championship the most times, with five titles to its credit: in 1987, 1992, 1998, 2011 and 2017. Argentina has the most powerful polo league, the highest handicap players and the best teams in the world. A tradition that, logically, has a venue that lives up to its legend: the Campo Argentino de Polo, an imposing stadium located in one of the most distinguished areas of the Palermo neighbourhood. The most important tournaments are played here, such as the Argentine Open Championship, and duck, a national sport, and field hockey are also played. It is known as “the cathedral of polo” for having been the scene of incredible world conquests and historical records, achieved by Argentine players and teams. The famous fields No. 1 and 2 were inaugurated in October 1928. Today, almost 100 years later, this oasis for lovers of horses and this wooded green lung of the city, also offers the Bocha gastronomic tour, which invites you to savour healthy dishes in an almost country setting, but without leaving the city.
4. Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo
It was inaugurated on May 7, 1876, but its current design was acquired in 1908, when the architect Louis Faure-Dujarric remodelled the original buildings and turned them into jewells of XNUMXth-century French classical style. The story goes that ten thousand spectators attended the first race that was run and that the trams were not enough to transport so many people. At that time, the turf was established as the greatest sporting spectacle in the country, and unlike what happened in other places in the world, here the horses also generated interest among the people and the working class; It was not an exclusive pastime of the elite. The complex has four stands: Paddock, Special, New and Official, whose impressive architecture made it a historical heritage of the City. Admission is free and in addition to the world of turf, visitors can enjoy a varied range of entertainment and gastronomy.
5. Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis
This traditional club located between the railway and a leafy forest in the Palermo neighbourhood is the headquarters of the Abierto de Buenos Aires and “the cathedral of Argentine tennis.” It was founded by a group of English immigrants in 1892, not here but on land that belonged to the family of the Nobel Prize winner, Federico Leloir. Tennis gained so many followers at that time that the first property became small and in 1920 it moved to a lot adjacent to the Golf Station (currently Lisandro de la Torre), next to the old Mitre Railway tracks, where the tennis court, the current headquarters, with a notable English style, a large main dining room, a bar overlooking the golf course, a bridge room, a children's dining room, large changing rooms and an old Secretariat overlooking the terrace were built. The legendary Central Court, the traditional venue for the Davis Cup in Argentina, was inaugurated in 1926 and expanded in 1952, under the design and direction of the renowned architect Mario Roberto Álvarez. Since 2016, it has been named after Guillermo Vilas, perhaps the greatest legend of Argentine tennis.
6. Parque Roca
Within the sports complex located in the south of the City, in 2004, Mary Terán de Weiss Stadium was built, a multipurpose space, but mainly linked to tennis. With capacity for 14.500 spectators, it is the venue where the Davis Cup is usually played. The park also has an important sports infrastructure, including tennis and softball schools, tennis courts, small and 11-a-side soccer fields, basketball courts, volleyball courts, a swimming pool and an athletics track.
7. Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez
The racetrack was built at the initiative of several Argentine racers, among whom was the legendary and multiple world champion Juan Manuel Fangio. Given the growing popularity of this discipline in the country, the government of President Juan Domingo Perón decided to build the racetrack in the south of the City of Buenos Aires, on a property of more than 200 hectares, located in Villa Riachuelo neighbourhood. The autodrome was inaugurated on March 9, 1952 with the name Autódromo 17 de Octubre; but in 1989 it was renamed “Oscar Gálvez” and, in 2005, the other Gálvez brother, Juan, was included in tribute to the drivers who between the 40s and 60s won 14 Road Tourism titles. Since its opening, this place has been the scene of more than 20 Formula 1 races, as well as motorcycling and National Road Tourism. It currently hosts the main speed motorsport categories, such as Road Tourism, TC 2000, Top Race, National Tourism and other regional competitions.