Estadio Defensores del Chaco – design description

What does Estadio Defensores del Chaco look like?

Estadio Defensores del Chaco was opened in 1917 and has been remodeled several times since then. The stadium's stands hold 37,000 seats. The facility is located in Asunción, Paraguay's capital, amid dense urban development. It was named in honor of Paraguayan soldiers fighting in the Chaco War with Bolivia from 1932 to 1935.

The stadium serves as the national stadium. The country's national team plays its matches there, and local clubs also use it, although it has no permanent host.

How did plans to modernize Estadio Defensores del Chaco come about?

On October 4, 2023, FIFA announced that Spain, Portugal and Morocco would host the 2030 World Cup. In honor of the 100th anniversary, a gesture was also made to Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, which will each host one game of the tournament at the start of the championship.

Paraguay does not have a modern stadium to host a match of this stature. Initially, it seemed that the World Cup game would be held at the Estadio CONMEBOL. It was to be a brand-new facility, a very preliminary concept of which was unveiled in 2023, but later there were no new reports on the project.

At the end of July 2024, on the occasion of the publication of the bids of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, as well as Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to host the 2030 World Cup (bid book), proposals were presented for a stadium in Paraguay, which would host one World Cup match.

The bid book presented a project to upgrade Estadio Defensores del Chaco, which could possibly also be adapted to upgrade Estadio General Pablo Rojas or Estadio Manuel Ferreira. As an alternative, a project for a completely new National Stadium of Paraguay has been presented.

What did the Estadio Defensores del Chaco modernization project entail?

The project called for the integration of all the stadium's stands and a capacity of 41,000 spectators. A canopy was to be built over the main stand, and the facility was to be enriched with additional VIP areas. The stadium was also to be better integrated into its surroundings.

The facility was to be equipped with the latest technologies and solutions in line with the ideas of sustainable development. The modernization was to maintain the stadium's long-standing tradition of hosting some of the most important sporting events that take place in Paraguay for years to come.

Will the modernization of Estadio Defensores del Chaco be carried out?

The concept was created as one of the proposals in connection with the need for Paraguay to prepare a suitable facility for the 2030 World Cup. If it were decided to modernize Estadio Defensores del Chaco, according to preliminary findings, the work would be carried out between 2026 and 2028.

The project was prepared for the renovation of Estadio Defensores del Chaco, but it was also noted that it could also be adapted for the modernization of another stadium (Estadio General Pablo Rojas and Estadio Manuel Ferreira were mentioned).

On December 11, 2024, however, it was announced that the venue for the 2030 World Cup from Paraguay would be the rebuilt stadium owned by Club Olimpia. The reconstruction of the Estadio Defensores del Chaco has thus been abandoned, although it is possible that the subject of modernizing this facility in one form or another will return in the future.