The numbers and words painted on the artificial turf next to the pitch at Estadio Municipal de El Alto, in Bolivia’s highest and fastest-growing city, are a source of pride for the locals. They also serve as a warning to opponents.
“4150 MTS ALT. SE JUEGA DONDE SE VIVE.”
“We play where we live” is the slogan next to the four figures that lay bare what an extraordinary location this is for a football stadium. At 4,150 metres above sea level, the new home of the Bolivian national team in El Alto is about as challenging as it gets when it comes to playing at altitude.
Next up were Colombia, on Thursday evening. They had lost only once since February 2022, and that was the 2024 Copa America final to Argentina.
Colombia lost 1-0, despite playing a large chunk of the match with an extra man after the Bolivia midfielder Hector Cuellar was sent off after 20 minutes.
Bolivia being a tough place to play football is nothing new. In his book ¡Golazo!: A History of Latin American Football, Andreas Campomar writes about how “Bolivian football has created a fortress from the thin air of the Andes” for years, making the country formidable opponents on home soil and contributing to some remarkable results, most notably a 6-1 victory against Argentina in 2009.
Diego Maradona, Argentina’s coach, was crestfallen. “Every goal was like a stab in my heart,” he said.
