Estadio El Teniente

Estadio El Teniente, also known as Estadio Codelco El Teniente for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Rancagua, Chile. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium can fit 14,087 people and was built in 1945 with the name Braden Copper Company Stadium (Estadio Braden Copper Co.). The stadium is home to football club O'Higgins, which is based in Rancagua. The stadium hosted seven matches of 1962 FIFA World Cup, where played matches of the group stage and quarter-finals. In 2013, the stadium was renovated for hosting the 2015 Copa América, to be played in Chile. Two matches of the group stage were played in this stadium. El Teniente will be host of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. History Construction The stadium, since its construction, was owned by the U.S. copper mining company Braden Copper Company, which operated the mineral-extraction complex "El Teniente". The designation of the Braden Copper Stadium to host matches in the 1962 FIFA World Cup was due to an emergency. Indeed, the 1960 Valdivia earthquake severely damaged or destroyed facilities in some of the originally-designated host cities of the FIFA World Cup in 1962 including Talca, Concepción, Talcahuano and Valdivia, which caused the original schedule to be discarded and forced its almost complete modification. Further, Antofagasta and Valparaíso were deterred from fulfilling their offers to host because they could not feasibly construct self-funded stadiums, a condition that had been imposed by the Federation due to its own lack of resources. However, given the bleak outlook for the organization, the U.S. mining interests allowed the use of their stadium in Rancagua. Nationalization of copper The Government of Chile acquired in 1967 51% of the shares of Braden Copper Co., as part of the general nationalization of copper, which concluded in 1971. Therefore, the ownership and management of the "Estadio Braden Copper" passed to the state-owned corporation Codelco Chile, which led to the name change to the current one. New stadium On May 21, 2008, the then-president Michelle Bachelet announced the "Red de Estadios para el Bicentenario", a programme in which w new stadiums were built and upgrades planned for others, among which was the Estadio El Teniente. However, remodeling El Teniente was not executed during the term of Bachelet, although this was projected, due to the 2010 Chilean earthquake. On September 2, 2012, President Sebastian Piñera announced in Rancagua the final draft of the plans for remodelling the stadium, which will have a capacity of 15 000 spectators. Construction began on February 19, 2013, and delivery is planned for early 2014. The Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (ANFP) announced in December 2012 that El Teniente had been selected to host the 2015 Copa América, along with Santiago, Antofagasta, La Serena, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Concepción and Temuco. Host venue contested with the city of Talca, however Rancagua was chosen due to its closer proximity to the Chilean capital. Inaugural match In the inaugural match, O'Higgins played against Lanús for the week 6 of the 2014 Copa Libertadores. The final result was 0–0, marking the elimination of the club from the competition, as they needed a victory to advance to the next round. Areas The stadium has 5 sectors since her renovation, the Palco has 375 seats, and the totality of the other four sectors are 13,464. The information on entrances, including exits, is available in three languages inside the stadium. Chilean Spanish English Mapudungun Name of the sub-stands Inside the stadium, in each area of the stands there are places to name each of the sub-stands that are there depending on their location, having a relationship with places in Chile located in the direction that they point or with copper mining facilities belonging to Codelco. Gradería Angostura Los 16 Gradería Andes Gradería Marquesina Gradería Rengo 1962 World Cup The Estadio El Teniente hosted seven games during the 1962 FIFA World Cup, every game of Group 4 and a quarterfinal. Teams which played in this stadium for the 1962 FIFA World Cup: Argentina Bulgaria Hungary England Czechoslovakia Matches Group 4 Quarter-finals Chile national football team matches Men's The Estadio El Teniente has hosted six games of the Chile national football team, including friendlies in FIFA Week and pre-2015 Copa América. Women's The Estadio El Teniente has hosted three games of the Chile women's national football team, all of them being international friendlies. 2015 Copa América The fixture schedule was announced on 11 November 2014, and two games were played in the Estadio El Teniente for the 2015 Copa América, playing here 4 of 12 countries of the tournament. Both matches were part of the group stage. Teams which played in this stadium for the 2015 Copa América: Colombia Venezuela Mexico Ecuador Group stage 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup The draw took place at Chilevisión's Machasa studios in Santiago on 29 May 2025. Teams which played in this stadium for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup: France South Africa New Caledonia United States Saudi Arabia Norway Italy South Korea Morocco Group stage Round of 16 Quarter-finals 2025–26 CONMEBOL Liga de Naciones Femenina Round robin Attendances Transport connections Bus Terminal O'Higgins is the principal bus stop of the city receiving buses from the south and north of Chile, and the stadium is 1.05 miles (1.7 km) away following the Rancagua main avenues. The Tur Bus terminal at Rancagua is 1.55 miles (2.35 km) away of the stadium, being the most famous private bus stop in the city. Local buses (micros) served by Trans O'Higgins have many lines with a stop close to El Teniente are: Trans O'Higgins lines: Tramway The stadium is 1.18 miles (1.9 km) away from the Estación Rancagua (Metrotrén). Airport The city only has the Aeródromo de la Independencia, but receives only the private jets and Chilean Army flights. The nearest international airport is the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, in Santiago, 86 km away from the city, but is the main airport of the country, receiving always delegations of national teams and professional clubs. Main events The stadium has hosted major sporting events such as the 1962 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Copa América. It has also hosted events such as the 2017 South American U-17 Championship and the 2019 South American U-20 Championship. However, its main focus is football, with concerts and cultural events being less frequent. Images References