Estadio Rommel Fernández – stadium description

How was Panama's largest stadium built?

Panama's largest stadium was built in connection with the hosting of the 11th Central American and Caribbean Games in 1970. Construction began in 1968, and the opening took place on February 6, 1970. The facility was built as part of a new sports complex created for the Games, along with an indoor arena (Arena Roberto Durán) and a swimming pool (Piscina Eileen Coparropa). The complex, now known as Ciudad Deportiva Irving Saladino, was built adjacent to the horse racing track (Hipódromo Presidente Remón), which had been in operation since 1956. Construction of the compound was financed by loans taken out by the government.

What did Estadio Rommel Fernández originally look like?

The new stadium was equipped with an athletics track, surrounded on all sides by stands, although they were much lower on the curves. On the west side, the auditorium had a second tier, which was covered. The capacity of the facility was originally 22,000 spectators. The facility was initially named Estadio Revolución. On May 6, 1993, at the age of 27, Rommel Fernández, the second-ever Panamanian soccer player to compete in Europe, with more than a hundred LaLiga appearances to his credit, died in a car accident. Later that year, the stadium was named after him. The facility is also known as El coloso de Juan Díaz.

When was Estadio Rommel Fernández expanded?

Between 2006 and 2010, the facility underwent a major redevelopment. All of the stands were expanded, gaining (with the exception of the northern arch) two tiers and a canopy (but it does not cover the lower rows), and the floodlight masts were replaced with lights mounted in the roof. The reinauguration of the facility after the modernization took place on April 9, 2010 (the stadium then hosted the opening ceremony of the Ninth Central American Games).

What kind of events does Estadio Rommel Fernández host?

The facility is used by local soccer clubs to play their matches. As the largest stadium in the country, it is also the primary venue for the Panamanian national team, which plays most of its home games there. In addition, the stadium has been the venue for many other sporting events, including hosting the 11th Central American and Caribbean Games (1970), the 7th Bolivarian Games (1973) and the 9th Central American Games (2010). In 2003, 2011 and 2017, matches of the Copa Centroamericana soccer tournament were played there.

On October 10, 2017, the Panamanian national team secured its first-ever promotion to the World Cup at this stadium after a thrilling last-round World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica (2:1). The venue has hosted many other important and interesting events, such as the Messi and Friends charity match versus the rest of the world (July 14, 2010, 6:4) and the meeting between former Real Madrid and FC Barcelona stars (October 11, 2014, 1:0). In 2012, it hosted matches of the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Football Championship.

What does Panama's largest stadium look like?

The stadium has a tartan athletics track, surrounded on all sides by stands. With the exception of the northern arch, the stands are stacked and partially covered (without covering the lower rows). The stands on the arches are partially, in the upper levels, separated, which divides the auditorium into four main segments. The stadium's capacity after the 2006-2010 expansion is 32,000 spectators, making it the largest stadium in the country. The facility's lighting is embedded in the canopy.

The facility is part of the Ciudad Deportiva Irving Saladino sports complex, which also includes an indoor arena (Arena Roberto Durán) and a swimming pool (Piscina Eileen Coparropa), as well as two small auxiliary stadiums for soccer (Cancha Luis Ernesto Tapia) and American soccer (Estadio Emilio Royo), respectively. Right next to the complex is also the Hipódromo Presidente Remón horse racing track.