Concacaf Stadium Series Episode #2: Estadio Universitario Alberto "Chivo" Córdoba

For this edition of our Concacaf stadium tour we head down to central Mexico, to the city of Toluca. Toluca's most famous ground is the Estadio Nemesio Diéz, which has been home to the city's main club since 1954, and while it's an impressive stadium that has even made its way into that weird Geico ad, it is not the subject of today's tour.

We are headed to the city's lesser known stadium, the Estadio Universitario Alberto "Chivo" Córdoba. The 32,000 capacity venue actually makes it the largest in the city, but its main tenants, the UAEM Potros, rarely if ever fill it up. The Potros have bounced around the lower divisions of Mexican football since their formation in 1970, but never reached the top flight. They currently sit in the 4th tier of the pyramid, and with the uncertainty surrounding Mexican pro/rel they may never climb higher than that again.

Although the Potros may not be the biggest draw in the world, Mexican soccer fans are still probably familiar with the Universitario due to its use as a temporary home for Toluca in 2016 while the Nemesio Díez underwent renovations. It only takes one glance at the western stands for the place to grab your attention:

The gigantic coliseum style concrete seating is a sight to behold on its own, but the mural that covers the grandstand is what makes the Universitario one of the most beautiful stadiums on Earth. The mural, created by famous artist Leopoldo Flores, was added to the stadium in the mid-1970s, about a decade after the stands were first constructed. Flores called the abstract depiction of a person grabbing the sunlight from the sky the Aratmósfera. I do not have an eye for high art, but I think it's impressive how the mural remains so captivating even though I struggle to see anything other than a splash of colors and shapes.

In addition to the mural, overlooking the stadium high atop a painted cliff that acts as an extension of the Aratmósfera itself, is a gigantic statue of the head of former Mexican president Adolfo López Mateos. The mural is among the most beautiful backdrops you'll ever see in a football stadium; the president's gigantic head is among the most unique.

From up on the cliff you get a fantastic view of not only the stadium, but the entire city. The view is nice on google maps, but certainly this is an overlook worth seeing for yourself.

Sadly, unless Toluca ever returns to the stadium it is unlikely we'll ever see it full again; with only the Potros playing there regularly it may be tough to catch a game with a lively atmosphere. But that shouldn't stop you from seeing the ground altogether. If you ever find yourself in Toluca, the Universitario is a must-visit.