Estadio Nemesio Díez

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Estadio Nemesio Díez
Estadio Nemesio Diez.jpg
Estadio Nemesio Diez
Interactive map of Estadio Nemesio Díez
Former namesClub Deportivo Toluca (1954-1955), Héctor Barraza (1956-1958), Luis Gutiérrez Dosal (1959–1969), Toluca 70 (1970–1985), Toluca 70–86 (1986–2000)
LocationConstituyentes Pte. 1000, Barrio de San Bernardino, 50080 Toluca de Lerdo, Méx.
Coordinates 19°17′14″N99°40′0″W / 19.28722°N 99.66667°W / 19.28722; -99.66667
OwnerValentín Díez Morodo
Capacity30,000 [1]
Field size105 by 68 metres (114.8 yd × 74.4 yd) [2]
SurfaceKikuyu Grass
Construction
Opened8 August 1954;71 years ago (1954-08-08) [3]
Renovated2015-2017
Construction cost$1,000,000,000 MXN [4]
ArchitectQuattro + 1 Arquitectos
Tenants
Deportivo Toluca F.C. (1954–)
Deportivo Toluca F.C. Femenil (2017–)
Website
Estadio Nemesio Diez

Estadio Nemesio Diez (Nemesio Diez Stadium), sometimes referred to as La Bombonera (The Chocolate Box) for its resemblance, is an association football stadium located in Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico. Opened on 8 August 1935, the stadium has a capacity of 30,000 and serves as the home of Liga MX club Deportivo Toluca F.C. It is one of the oldest football stadiums in Mexico. The stadium has hosted matches at the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cups, the 1975 Pan American Games, the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship, and the 1990 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Contents

The stadium sits at an altitude of roughly 8,750 feet (2,670 m) above sea level, one of the highest altitude stadiums in North America. A former nuance about this stadium is that it did not have a lighting system, which forced the local team as a tradition to play at noon. The playing field is oriented from east to west, the only professional stadium in the country located in that position.

The stadium was remodeled in 2017, which brought the stadium up to modern standards, expanding the capacity to 30,000 spectators, and adding technology with additional support for screens and ambient sound, all the while preserving the English style that has characterized it, such as the proximity to the playing field.

History

During the 1940s and 1950s, Toluca played its home games at a ground near downtown Toluca known then as Tivoli. Later, wooden stands were built in the ground and it was named Campo Patria. On that same spot, in 1953, the club started building its own stadium. [5]

The stadium was inaugurated on Sunday 8 August 1954, with a match between Toluca and Yugoslavian team Dinamo Zagreb. The game was won by Dinamo 4–1. The only goal for Toluca and also the first in the history of the stadium was scored by Enrique Sesma.

Initially, the stadium was opened as Estadio Club Deportivo Toluca. That name lasted until 1955, when it was changed to Estadio Héctor Barraza. Other names the stadium has had are: Estadio Luis Gutiérrez Dosal (1959–1970), Estadio Toluca 70 (1970–1986), Estadio Toluca 70–86 (1986–2000).

After the death of Nemesio Díez Riega, president and then owner of the club, in June 2000, the stadium name was changed to Estadio Nemesio Díez. [6]

Renovation (2015–2017)

With an investment of 800 million MXN (about 40 million USD), the announcement to remodel The Nemesio Diez stadium by 2017 was made, when Club Deportivo Toluca celebrates its centenary and does so with a remodeled and more functional stadium.

Within the Nemesio Diez, four macro support columns that will sustain the stadium structure will be built to replace the current columns obstructing visibility. In the shadow stands, a second level will be built so the capacity, which currently stands at 22,000 will increase to 30,000.

The project also includes four giant screens at each end of the building, replacement of all seats and a sunroof in the preferred (shaded) section, to assist in the process of maintaining the natural grass in the field.

The remodeled stadium officially opened on January 15, 2017, with a league match against Club America. The first goal was scored by Gabriel Hauche for Toluca with a screamer outside of the box. Toluca FC won that match 2–1.

The stadium was completed in the summer 2017 where it had been confirmed that the club would play against Atlético Madrid for the official inauguration of the remodeled stadium. [7]

The stadium has also gained international recognition, as it was chosen as the "Second Best Stadium in the World 2017" in the remodeled category, according to public voting conducted by StadiumDB in the same year.[ citation needed ]

During the 2024 Apertura, Deportivo Toluca Fútbol Club had an attendance rate of 94.9%. This represents an average attendance of 28,470 spectators per match played at Nemesio Díez Stadium during the nine regular season matches. [8] According to ESPN, during the 2025 Clausura, Deportivo Toluca Fútbol Club has 23,000 season ticket holders out of a total capacity of 30,000 at Nemesio Díez Stadium; this means that the club has approximately 76.67% of the stadium fully booked. [9]

Matches

1970 FIFA World Cup

DateTimeTeam #1Res.Team #2RoundAttendance
3 June 197016:00Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1–0Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Group 2 13,433 [10]
7 June 197012:00Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1–1Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 9,624 [11]
11 June 197016:00Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 0–0Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 9,890 [12]
14 June 197012:00Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 1–4Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Quarter-finals 26,851

1986 FIFA World Cup

DateTimeTeam #1Res.Team #2RoundAttendance
4 June 198612:00Flag of Paraguay (1954-1988).svg  Paraguay 1–0Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg  Iraq Group B 24,000 [13]
8 June 1986Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg  Iraq 1–2Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 20,000 [14]
11 June 1986Flag of Paraguay (1954-1988).svg  Paraguay 2–216,000 [15]

Mexico national football team

DateResultCompetition
27 October 1976 Mexico  Flag of Mexico.svg0–0Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 1977 CONCACAF Championship qualification
8 April 19805–1Flag of Honduras (1949-2022).svg  Honduras Friendly
29 April 19802–2Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala
14 December 19852–0Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary Mexico Cup 1985
6 October 19874–0Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Friendly
13 October 20151–0Flag of Panama.svg  Panama
2 October 20192–0Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago
19 November 20192–1Flag of Bermuda.svg  Bermuda 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A

See also

References

  1. "Estadio". TolucaFC.com (in Spanish).
  2. "Dimensiones". tolucafc.com (in Spanish).
  3. "Estadio Nemesio Diez". tolucafc.com (in Spanish).
  4. "Tiene mucha historia". tolucafc.com (in Spanish).
  5. "Cumple 65 años el Nemesio Diez". El Sol de Toluca (in Spanish). 8 August 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  6. "¿Quién fue Nemesio Diez?". AS.com (in Spanish). 6 November 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  7. "Toluca celebrará Centenario contra el Atlético de Madrid". Mediotiempo.com (in Spanish). 4 April 2017.
  8. "Does hell exist?". x.com (in Spanish).
  9. "Fans camp out in Toluca starting Monday for a ticket to the final". espn.com.mx (in Spanish). 21 May 2025.
  10. "Match report Italy - Sweden". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  11. "Match report Sweden - Israel". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  12. "Match report Italy - Israel". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  13. "Match report Paraguay - Iraq". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  14. "Match report Iraq - Belgium". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  15. "Match report Paraguay - Belgium". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2018.

19°17′14″N99°40′0″W / 19.28722°N 99.66667°W / 19.28722; -99.66667