Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha

El Monumental El Coloso del Salado El Templo
Full name	Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha
Former names	Monumental de Barcelona
Location	Guayaquil, Ecuador
Coordinates	2°11′9.13″S 79°55′29.75″W / 2.1858694°S 79.9249306°W / -2.1858694; -79.9249306
Owner	Barcelona Sporting Club
Operator	Barcelona Sporting Club
Capacity	59,283 57,267 (international)[1]
Field size	105 x 70 meters
Surface	Grass
Scoreboard	Yes
Construction
Built	1987
Opened	December 27, 1987
Construction cost	$70,000,000
Architect	Jose Viteri
Tenants
Barcelona S.C. (1987–present) Ecuador national football team

The Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha is a football stadium in the parish (municipality) of Tarqui in northern Guayaquil, Ecuador. An aerial lift or cable car to connect the stadium with the "Aerovia" Julian Coronel station in downtown Guayaquil was scheduled to start in 2021. The stadium is the home to Ecuadorian football club Barcelona SC. It has a capacity of 59,283,^[2] which makes it the largest stadium in Ecuador.

History

Club president Isidro Romero Carbo wanted Barcelona, at the time playing their home games at the Estadio Modelo Alberto Spencer Herrera, to have their own stadium.

The stadium was inaugurated on December 27, 1987. The first game was played against FC Barcelona of Spain, which Barcelona SC won 1-0. Barcelona invited many South American football celebrities, such as Pelé, to the inauguration; Pelé compared the stadium to the famous Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro:^{[citation needed]}

Se o Maracanã é o maior estádio do mundo, o Monumental é um dos mais belos.
(If Maracanã is the largest stadium in the world, Monumental is one of the most beautiful in the world)

there is a golden plaque in the stadium celebrating this description.

There are healthcare facilities, clothing-and-souvenir shops, and restaurants, in a total area of about 5,100 m². The football field is 105 metres long and 70 metres wide. The training field near the stadium is called Alternate Field Sigifredo Agapito Chuchuca in honor of one of the greatest midfielders in team history.

The stadium hosted 5 matches of the 1993 Copa América, including the final.

On January 2, 2008, president of Barcelona Eduardo Maruri signed a 4-year contract with Ecuadorian bank Banco Pichincha to have the stadium named after the bank. The contract was renewed but came to an end in 2015.^[3]