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Abandoned stadiums in Argentina including Estadio Gasometro

Written by Matthew Cooper
Last Update: September 19, 2026
Abandoned stadiums in Argentina including Estadio Gasometro
Argentina fans - Photo via IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Argentina has a storied football history stretching back more than a century, with capital city Buenos Aires in particular, home to some of the most famous clubs and stadiums in the world.

The country boasts iconic venues such as La Bombonera, Estadio Monumental and El Cilindro, but many historic grounds have disappeared over the years.

Some have been replaced by bigger and more modern stadiums, while others were simply lost as clubs moved or the land was redeveloped.

Here, FootballGroundGuide has taken a look at some of the most famous abandoned football stadiums in Argentina.

Estadio Gasometro


Team: San Lorenzo
Opened: 1916
Abandoned: 1979
Location: Buenos Aires

If there is one abandoned Argentine football stadium that deserves to be on this list, it is Estadio Gasometro. The home of San Lorenzo opened in 1916 and became one of the country's most famous football grounds.

Its capacity eventually reached around 76,000 spectators and the stadium was regularly used by the Argentina national team. It also hosted matches at the Copa America in 1929, 1937 and 1946.

San Lorenzo were ultimately forced to sell their historic home to the government amid financial problems in 1979, with the stadium dismantled after its closure and the land sold to supermarket chain Carrefour for eight times the price.

Estadio Sportivo Barracas


Team: Sportivo Barracas
Opened: 1920
Abandoned: 1937
Location: Buenos Aires

Estadio Sportivo Barracas may have disappeared almost a century ago, but the old stadium played a remarkable role in the early history of Argentine football.

The ground was inaugurated in 1920 and became one of the country's major stadiums. It hosted Argentina internationals and matches at the 1921 and 1925 Copa America.

The stadium also welcomed some of Europe's most famous clubs, with Real Madrid visiting in 1927, Barcelona in 1928 and Torino in 1929.

Sportivo Barracas played its final match there on 11 December 1937, beating Sportivo Buenos Aires 4-3, and the stadium was subsequently demolished.

Estadio Alvear y Tagle


Team: River Plate
Opened: 1923
Abandoned: 1937
Location: Buenos Aires

River Plate's current home, El Monumental, is one of the most recognisable stadiums in world football. However, before they moved there, River played at the Estadio Alvear y Tagle in the Recoleta district.

The ground opened on 20 May 1923, when River beat Penarol 2-1 in the inaugural match. It subsequently became one of the most important football venues in Buenos Aires, with River playing there until 1937.

The stadium was also used by the Argentina national team and regularly hosted European clubs when they toured South America, including Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

However, River ultimately needed a much larger and more modern home and moved to the newly constructed Monumental in 1938. Alvear y Tagle was demolished shortly afterwards.

Estadio Brandsen y Del Crucero


Team: Boca Juniors
Opened: 1924
Abandoned: 1938
Location: Buenos Aires

Boca Juniors have played at La Bombonera for generations, but the famous stadium was not the first ground to occupy that site.

The original stadium was a wooden ground known as Brandsen y Del Crucero, which opened on 6 July 1924. With a capacity of around 25,000 spectators, it was an important home for Boca during one of the club's most successful periods.

The ground also hosted Argentina internationals, but was closed in 1938 so the club could demolish the stadium and build a new one. The old wooden stands were dismantled and the concrete La Bombanera was constructed on the same site, eventually opening in 1940.

Estadio de Alsina y Colon


Team: Racing Club
Opened: 1906
Abandoned: 1946
Location: Avellaneda

Racing Club's history is closely associated with El Cilindro, but before the famous circular stadium was built, the club played at Alsina y Colon in Avellaneda.

The ground opened in the early 20th century and was expanded over time. By 1929, it could accommodate around 50,000 spectators, making it one of the largest stadiums in Argentina.

Alsina y Colon also played an important role in international football. It was one of the venues used for the inaugural Copa America in 1916, with the tournament's final between Argentina and Uruguay moved to Racing's stadium after crowd trouble at Estadio GEBA the previous day.

Racing continued playing there until 1946, when the club acquired the land and began dismantling the old ground to make way for a new concrete stadium. El Cilindro eventually opened on the same site in 1950.

Estadio Ministro Brin y Senguel


Team: Boca Juniors
Opened: 1916
Abandoned: 1924
Location: Buenos Aires

Boca Juniors went through several stadiums during its formative years, and Estadio Ministro Brin y Senguel was one of the most important.

The stadium opened on 25 May 1916 with a friendly against Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires, which finished 2-2. It marked Boca's return to the La Boca neighbourhood after the club's temporary move to Wilde.

Boca remained there until 1924 and won several of its first major trophies during its time at the stadium, including four league titles in 1919, 1920, 1923 and 1924.

However, the ground was relatively small for the crowds Boca was beginning to attract and the club moved to a new stadium at Brandsen y Del Crucero in 1924. Estadio Ministro Brin y Senguel was demolished the following year.

Estadio de Humboldt y Padilla


Team: Chacarita Juniors
Opened: 1933
Abandoned: 1944
Location: Buenos Aires

Chacarita Juniors' former stadium in Humboldt is one of the more unusual lost ground stories. The stadium opened in 1933 and was Chacarita's second ground on the street, with the club's previous stadium standing on the opposite block between 1923 and 1930.

The new ground was right next to Atlanta's stadium, meaning two major football clubs had neighbouring stadiums in Villa Crespo, and Chacarita remained there until December 1944.

The ground's subsequent history is particularly interesting because Chacarita were evicted and the stadium was dismantled, with Atlanta ultimately purchasing the land to construct a new ground.

Atlanta eventually built the stadium that remains at that site today, opening it in 1960, and the two clubs have remained rivals ever since.

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Matthew Cooper

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