- Address: Medellín
- Country: Colombia
- Capacity: 45,000
- Opened: 19 March 1953
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: Atlético Nacional (football), DIM (football)
Extra stadium info – Estadio Atanasio Girardot
The Estadio Atanasio Girardot is named after Manuel Atanasio Girardot Díaz, a former Colombian revolutionary leader who died during a battle. The football stadium is among the main sports venues in Colombia. It opened with a football match between Atlético Nacional and Alianza Lima. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. Alianza Lima became one of the major Peruvian sports clubs.
The Copa América and the FIFA World Cup
The Estadio Atanasio Girardot hosted several matches for the Copa América, the oldest still-running continental football competition, in 2001. The national football team of Colombia, one of the first national football teams with a value of at least $100 million, won the tournament that year. The first-ever edition of the South American championship for national football teams took place in 1916. The national football team of Uruguay won the inaugural edition of the tournament. They also won the inaugural FIFA World Cup, which took place in Uruguay in 1930. The national football team of Uruguay won the final against the Argentine Republic 4-2 in front of 68,000 spectators.
The 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The Estadio Atanasio Girardot became one of the eight venues for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup. On 29 July 2011, the stadium hosted its first-ever match for the football tournament. The game between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and England ended in a draw. 25,000 spectators showed up for the game. Brazil won the tournament after beating the Portuguese Republic 3-2. The final took place in the Colombian city of Bogotá in front a crowd of 36,000.
Atlético Nacional and Deportivo Independiente Medellín
Atlético Nacional and Deportivo Independiente Medellín, the most popular sports clubs from Medellín, use the stadium for home games. Both clubs won the Colombian top-flight football league various times. DIM was founded in 1913 and Atlético Nacional was founded in 1947. Atlético Nacional became the first football club from Medellín with 10 top-division titles. In 1989, they became the first Colombian club with a Copa Libertadores title. In 2016, Atlético Nacional won the South American championship for football clubs again in front of tens of thousands of fans in Medellín.
First-ever FIFA Club World Cup participation
In 2016, Atlético Nacional finished third place in their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup participation. The world-famous Spanish side Real Madrid CF won the world championship for football clubs after defeating the Kashima Antlers from Japan in the final. 68,000 people attended the game, which took place in the Japanese city of Yokohama.
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria
Atlético Nacional was once financially backed by the infamous drug kingpin Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria. He became the wealthiest South American drug kingpin in history. Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born in Colombia in 1949. On 2 December 1993, he was found dead in Medellín by Colombian special forces using technology provided by the United States. Police tried to arrest Escobar that day. The situation escalated to an exchange of gun fire. Escobar was shot while trying to escape from a roof. The Robin Hood image that Escobar had cultivated maintained a lasting influence in the city of Medellín. Many people in Medellín, especially the poor who reiceved aid from Escobar, mourned his death.


