THE most-attended club in world football have revealed plans to create the world’s second-largest football stadium.
River Plate, the four-time Copa Libertadores champions, announced an expansion to their famous El Monumental.
The red and white revamp will expand its capacity by 16,000, taking it to a whopping 101,000 people.
El Monumental will become the second largest in the football world, behind Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea which has a 114,000 capacity.
The stadium, built in the 1930s, has been dubbed ‘the Colosseum’ for its striking circular architectural design seemingly inspired by the Roman monument.
With recorded crowds averaging more than 85,000 spectators per match, River finished 2025 as the most-attended football club in the world.
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The current capacity of 85,018 people hosts numerous sell-out crowds, across 16 home fixtures, meaning River welcomed more than 1.36 million fans during the year.
In a video posted on Instagram, River president Stefano Di Carlo said of the capacity increase: “It is a historic day.
“River Plate continues its path of modernisation, growth, and historic leadership in sports infrastructure, consolidating the stadium as the largest and most important in the Americas and a global benchmark.”
The Argentine giants are working with the specialised roof engineers, SBP, who have been involved in many huge projects, like the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Allianz Arena, and Bernabéu.
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Construction will begin with the German company in April 2026 and will be completed in time for Argentina co-hosting the 2030 World Cup.
It is expected to cost more than £72million.
The finances of the Argentine club will not be affected as the project will be funded through international loans, which will be paid with River’s own revenue.
The Estadio Mâs Monumental hosted the 1978 World Cup Final, where Argentina beat the Netherlands 3-1 to claim their first title.
The stadium hosts the intense Superclásico between River and Boca Juniors, and has staged multiple Copa América and Copa Libertadores finals.
River will compete across the Argentine Championship, the Copa Argentina, and the Copa Conmebol Sudamericana in the 2026 season.
