Estadio Nacional del Paraguay – design description

How did plans for Paraguay's new National Stadium come about?

In 2017, Uruguay and Argentina officially announced their intention to bid to host the 2030 World Cup, with Paraguay joining the initiative later that year and Chile also joining in 2019. The special occasion for hosting the 2030 World Cup in South America was to be the 100th anniversary of the first tournament, which was held in Uruguay.

On October 11, 2023, FIFA officially announced the hosts of the 2030 World Cup. The tournament will be held mainly in Spain, Portugal and Morocco (at the end of the selection process, this was the only counter-candidate of South American countries), but in connection with the 100th anniversary, a gesture was also made towards Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, which will each host one game at the start of the tournament.

When were plans for Paraguay's new National Stadium unveiled?

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, among other things, for a stadium in Paraguay that 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 was presented.

Previously, it seemed that Paraguay's World Cup match would be held at the Estadio CONMEBOL. This was to be a brand new stadium, a very preliminary concept of which was unveiled in 2023, but there were later no new reports on the project.

What are the plans for Paraguay's new National Stadium?

The new National Stadium is to be built in the northern part of Paraguay's capital, Asunción, on the banks of the Paraguay River at Avenida Costanera Norte. The facility is to be a football-specific one and will be able to accommodate about 47,000 spectators. Plenty of parking spaces are planned around the stadium.

The stadium's stands will slope slightly toward the north and will be covered with a flat, translucent roof. From the outside, the stands will be surrounded by thin reinforced concrete columns. The facade is to be enhanced with LED lighting, which will change colors depending on the occasion.

The stadium will include VIP areas, seats for journalists and wheelchair users. The facility will be equipped with the latest technologies, as well as solutions in line with the ideas of sustainable development. The stadium will receive a dynamic, modern form, although the design was also inspired by traditional embroidery products, known as ñandutí.

When will Paraguay's new National Stadium be built?

The concept was created as one of the proposals in connection with Paraguay's need to prepare a suitable facility for the 2030 World Cup. The rationality of this investment must be evaluated in terms of many factors and compared with alternative possibilities.

Should it be decided to build a new National Stadium, according to preliminary findings, the work would be carried out between 2026 and 2028. The facility would be owned by the Paraguayan Football Federation (APF) and managed by a subordinate company.

What role is the new Paraguay National Stadium expected to play?

The impetus for the stadium's construction is supposed to be to host a match during the 2030 World Cup, but the investment would give Paraguay a brand new, modern National Stadium to replace the Estadio Defensores del Chaco in that role. The stadium could host more major events, and would serve the country's national team and local clubs, as well as cultural and other events.