Estadio Arquitecto Ricardo Etcheverri, formerly known as Estadio Ferro Carril Oeste or simply "Ferro", is a football stadium located in the Caballito district of Buenos Aires. It is owned and operated by club Ferro Carril Oeste. The stadium, opened in 1905 and located close to Caballito station of Sarmiento Line, has a current capacity of 24,442.

Inaugurated on 2 January 1905,¿Dónde está el estadio de fútbol más antiguo de Argentina? on Billiken, 27 Apr 2024Estadio on Ferro C. Oeste website Ferro Carril Oeste is the oldest football stadium of Argentina (referring to clubs affiliated to AFA)Chau tablón, Clarín, 23 July 2005Estadios argentinos by Carlos Aira on Xenen, 19 June 2016 and the second in South America after Estadio Gran Parque Central (home venue of Uruguayan Club Nacional de Football, built in 1900).

Because of being located near the geographic centre of Buenos Aires, several former clubs used it as their home venues. Some of them were Alumni, Barracas A.C., San Lorenzo, Argentinos Juniors, among others.

The stadium also hosted test matches played by the Argentina national rugby union team (Los Pumas) first in 1932 and then during the 1970s to early 2000s, where Argentina played Ireland, New Zealand, France and Australia, among others. In Ferro Carril Oeste, Argentina achieved notable wins over Australia (1979) and France (1985), and a celebrated 21–21 tie vs the All Blacks in 1985."El historial de los Pumas contra los grandes: los All Blacks, el único al que no le pudieron ganar" , Cancha Llena, 8 August 2015"El historial de Los Pumas ante Australia, la tercera potencia", Infobae, 18 October 2015 Other local teams such as the URBA team or San Isidro Club played matches at Ferro Carril Oeste in the 1980s.

History The stadium was built on a land granted by the manager of Buenos Aires Western Railway in 1905. That same year the first wooden grandstand was built. The first official match was played here on 21 April 1907, when Ferro C. Oeste and River Plate tied 2–2. In 1906, the first official grandstand (with roof) was built. Due to being linked with the Western Railway company, the club hosted several sports activities in 1907 to celebrate the 50th. anniversary of first railway line in Argentina.Viejos estadios: Ferro Carril Oeste

The first notable event hosted by the stadium was the 1907 Tie Cup Final where Alumni defeated Uruguayan side CURCC 3–1. As Alumni did not have own venue, the team played its home matches at Ferro C. Oeste between 1907 and 1909. In 1914, Ferro hosted a Tie Cup final again, when River Plate beat Bristol and won their first international title. Although Ferro C. Oeste played in the Second Division, its stadium was a frequent venue for several Primera División matches by other teams.

When the Flores Athletic Club disbanded in 1907, Ferro Carril Oeste acquired some of its facilities such as tennis and paleta courts. In September 1931, the official grandstand was completely destroyed by fire, but was rebuilt. During the 1930s, the club got materials in change for football players. Some transfers made that way were Federici to Huracán and Arcadio López to Boca Juniors. In this case, the club received a whole wooden grandstand that had been part of the old Boca Juniors stadium. Two years later, Boca Juniors opened La Bombonera, made of concrete. The wooden grandstand was located on Martín de Gainza street.

The Ferro Carril Oeste stadium hosted international rugby matches for the first time in 1932, when the Junior Springboks toured on Argentina playing several games there including two test-matches v the Argentina national team.Memoria y Balance 1970 on UARRecuerdos de una leyenda viva on La Nación, 13 Oct 2007 (archived, 4 Nov 2021)

From the 1940s to the 1960s, Ferro Carril Oeste hosted several racing events that include midget car and motorcycle races. Those events were scheduled on Saturdays so football matches were on Sundays, taking place on the racetrack surrounding the football pitch.Carreras de autos Midget en Ferro by Carlos Araujo on Ser Argentino

In 1951 Ferro Carril Oeste was one of the venues (along with Gimnasia y Esgrima) to host the South American Rugby Championship in Buenos Aires. In 1970, the club built a gymnasium under the official grandstand, which was inaugurated in 1972.

Apart from football games, Ferro C.O. would be the home venue for Los Pumas matches until 1985, when New Zealand toured in the country. The last test played by Argentina at the stadium was the historic 21–21 v the All Blacks in November,Cuando Los Pumas estuvieron al borde de la hazaña by Patricio Connelly on ESPN, 2012 when captain Hugo Porta scored all the points for Argentina. He would be named "the best fly-half of the world" at the end of that year.A mano con los All Blacks, La Nación, 16 Sep 2003

During the 1990s, the stadium returned to host rugby matches of Los Pumas, along with José Amalfitani Stadium. The last test played by the national team at Ferro was in 2001, when Argentina defeated Italy.

In August 2025, Ferro Carril Oeste inaugurated a rebuilt grandstand (named "West stand"),En el medio de su crisis futbolística, Ferro inauguró la tribuna que se derrumbó en 2021 on TyC, 15 Aug 2025 which was rebuilt after it had collapsed two years before. Six people were injured in the accident.Derrumbe en Ferro Carril Oeste: la obra en la tribuna estaba clausurada desde enero on TyC, 30 Sep 2021

The stadium was again host of a rugby match in 2007, when Hindú defeated Alumni 9–6 in the Torneo de la URBA final to win their 4th. league title.

Concerts

Since the 1980s the Estadio Ferro Carril Oeste has hosted a large amount of artists performing there, mostly rock bands.

Local rockstar Charly García gave his first concert as soloist there in 1982, with an attendance of 25,000 people."No bombardeen Buenos Aires": el recuerdo del histórico recital de Charly García en el estadio de Ferro en 1982El día que García bombardeó Buenos Aires, Clarín

The first international artist to have performed at Ferro was British band The Cure in 1987, in a chaotic concert that finished in a riot where hooligans and policemen fight inside and outside the stadium. During the following years, several artists performed in the stadium, having hosted three editions of the Monsters of Rock metal festival, in 1995, 1997 and 2005.

Some of the most notable local bands performing at Ferro were Riff, Rata Blanca, Soda Stereo and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.

Concerts hosted at Estadio Ferro Carril Oeste Artist Date Tour/Concert Ref. Charly García Dec 1982 Yendo de la Cama al Living Riff Dec 1983, Dec 1997 Sin Cadenas, Monsters of Rock Biografía de Riff, Rock.com.ar Los Violadores Dec 1983 Sin Cadenas The Cure Mar 1987 Kissing tour Por qué The Cure rompió su promesa y vuelve después de 26 años, La Nación/Rolling Stone Iron Maiden July 1992, 2008 Fear of the Dark Tour and Somewhere Back in Time World Tour Iron Maiden deleitó a 25 mil personas Pantera Abr 1995 Tour history on Pantera website Roxette Abr 1995 Crash! Boom! Bang! Tour LLega Roxette a la Argentina Faith No More Sep 1995 Monsters of Rock Monstruos en cuero, La Nación, 1995 Ozzy Osbourne Sep 1995 Monsters of Rock Alice Cooper Sep 1995 Monsters of Rock Paradise Lost Sep 1995 Monsters of Rock Therapy? Sep 1995 Monsters of Rock Clawfinger Sep 1995 Monsters of Rock Rata Blanca Sep 1995, Oct 2004, Sep 2005 Monsters of Rock Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Jan 1996 No Quarter Elogio de la tercera edad, Página/12, 12 Jan 2014 The Black Crowes Jan 1996 No Quarter Soda Stereo Nov 1996 Alternative Festival Cómo fueron los últimos años de Soda Stereo antes de la separación, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2017 Marilyn Manson Nov 1996 Alternative Festival Rock & Pop alternativo en dos días, La Nación Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nov 1996 Alternative Festival Porno for Pyros Nov 1996 Alternative Festival Cypress Hill Nov 1996 Alternative Festival Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Nov 1996 Alternative Festival Spacehog Nov 1996 Alternative Festival Silverchair Nov 1996 Alternative Festival Tracy Bonham Nov 1996 Alternative Festival David Bowie Nov 1997 Earthling Tour Viene David Bowie, Clarín, 27 Sep 1997 Bush Nov 1997 No Doubt Nov 1997 Tragic Kingdom World Tour Molotov Nov 1997 Despedazado Tour Café Tacuba Nov 1997 Whitesnake Dec 1997, Sep 2005 Monsters of Rock Megadeth Dec 1997 Monsters of Rock Los monstruos invadieron Buenos Aires, Clarín Queensrÿche Dec 1997 Monsters of Rock The Offspring Oct 2004 Quilmes Rock El día que Ferro fue hogar de todas las tribus heavies, Pagina/12, Oct 2004 Judas Priest Sep 2005 Monsters of Rock Y desbordó Ferro, Clarín, Sep 2005 Lorihen Sep 2005 Monsters of Rock Pearl Jam Nov 2005 Un buen primer paso de Pearl Jam, La Nueva, 28 November 2005 Mudhoney Nov 2005 My Chemical Romance Feb 2008 The Black Parade My Chemical Romance en Argentina, Perfil, 2008 Jamiroquai Feb 2013 Jamiroquai hizo vibrar Ferro, Infobae Jonas Brothers Mar 2013 World Tour 2012–13 Jonas Brothers en Ferro, Ciudad.com Guns N' Roses Abr 2014 Appetite for Democracy Guns N Roses tocó en Ferro con un Axl Rose irreconocible, Ciudad.com

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References

External links

Photos at worldstadiums.com Aerial photo at Google Earth