Attend a soccer match in Medellin – Tickets, Rates & Tips (Colombia)
After Lisbon, Seville, Turin, Istanbul, Montreal and Buenos Aires, I continue my soccer world tour in Medellin, Colombia.
The passion for soccer in South America is in no way comparable with what we know in Europe, I have already had the opportunity to see this in Argentina. Colombian soccer is less famous but the atmosphere is at least as electric.
There are two professional clubs in Medellin, Atlético Nacional and Corporación Deportiva Independiente Medellín (DIM). Both clubs had their heyday at the end of the 1980s, when they benefited greatly from Pablo Escobar’s drug money laundering scheme.
Both clubs play in the same stadium, the Atanasio-Girardot Stadium, which can accommodate 45,000 spectators.
With 16 championships, Atlético Nacional is the most successful and popular club in Colombia.
Staying in Medellin for a month and a half, I will have the opportunity to attend several meetings. Luckily, the first match I will attend is between Atletico Nacional and the Millonarios of Bogotá. In other words, the two most successful and popular teams in Colombia. My second match is even crazier, it is the derby between the two clubs of Medellin: Atlético Nacional against DIM.
In Colombia, soccer is very popular among women. Many spectators come in couples and we see many more than in French stadiums. The stadium and its surroundings are secured with a strong police presence. So don’t hesitate to come with your family, young children included (except on the bends where a minimum age may be required, the main risk being jostling after too much enthusiasm).
Match Schedule
A small Google search with the name of the stadium will suffice. At the bottom right, look at “upcoming events” to see the dates & times of the matches.
I strongly recommend, if you can, to prefer a game that takes place on the WE. I attended two games on the WE, the stadium was almost full. I attended a game on a Tuesday night, the stadium was 3/4 empty. The atmosphere remains good but it has nothing to do with it.
How to buy tickets?
The ticket office opens a few days before each meeting. It is possible to go to the stadium’s ticket office or to go to one of the sales points in the city. But for those like me who don’t speak Spanish very well, the easiest way is probably to buy tickets online.
It is possible to buy them on the tuboleta.com website and receive your ticket by SMS. Note: I have checked the rates, they are the same as the ones displayed by the club, there is just an extra fee for sending the ticket (even if you receive the ticket by email, between 7000COP and 10000COP càd 2-3€).
To receive the ticket by SMS, you must select the option “Envio Mobile Ticket SMS” during the purchase process. It is also possible to select “Envio a su correo eletronico” to receive the tickets by e-mail but it is specified that you have to print the tickets, I do not know if it passes by having it on his phone.
Just before paying, a message in red is displayed stating that if you pay with an international card, you will have to pick up the ticket at a point of sale. I tried my luck and it worked, I didn’t need to go anywhere.
Another point, just after the payment, an error message appeared, indicating that there was a problem sending the SMS (on my Colombian number) and that I had to contact the support.
I thought that it was going to be tough and that I would have been better off moving around. I sent an email to support (using Google Translate). A few minutes later, I received a reply and the SMS. I must say that I was bluffed by the efficiency.
EDIT: I only had this problem with my first purchase, no worries afterwards. Probably due to bad luck.
The SMS you receive contains a link that displays a QR code when you open it. If you don’t have internet, remember to make a screenshot of the QR code to be able to enter.
How much do the tickets cost?
It surely depends on the games. For my first match (on a Sunday evening against a rival club) the prices ranged from 28 000 cop (7,4€) to 170 000 (45€). For the derby between the two clubs of Medellin, the prices were not much more expensive (first price at 33 000 cop)
A little translation :
- Ori means Oriental (to the east)
- Occidental means Western (to the west)
- Norte / Sur : North and South
- Alta: High Tribune
- Baja: Low Tribune
Which place to choose?
I struggled a lot to find out which grandstand had the most atmosphere, I couldn’t find any information on the subject
For Atlético Nacional matches
It was when I saw this image that I finally understood.
The Norte grandstand is accessible from 5 years old.
La tribune Sur is accessible from 14 years old. I have my answer.
Unfortunately, tickets for this grandstand were not on sale. I don’t know if it was sold out or if you have to be a subscriber
As this is my first match and as I will have the opportunity to come back, I chose the cheapest place in height to have a better visibility. I chose the Oriental Alta Lateral at 45,000 cops and I found myself on the North stand side and not the South.
If you want to make the most of the atmosphere, take a seat in the Sur bend or nearby.
For IMG matches
For the DIM, it’s the other way around, the most boiling turn is the Norte turn.
On the site, a map makes it easy to locate the places you can buy.
Access to the stadium
Access to the stadium is quite easy as it is served by a subway. However, once you get to the metro, it’s up to you to find your way, there is just no signage
Stupid thing, I had to use Google Maps to know which direction to go in when leaving the subway. The stadium is only a few hundred meters away, but no indication sign.
Once at the stadium, likewise, no indication to find the door that concerns you my ticket states the “Entrada 14” but no directional arrows and the number at each door is tiny
I finally find the damn entrance 14, I queue 10 minutes before the entrance and my ticket doesn’t work ! The doorman looks at my ticket and understands the problem, I’m at entrance 14 west and not east. Great, I have to go to the other side !
The simplest way would have been to ask directly to one of the many stewards (in yellow vest), specifying the door number and eastern or western.
As a result, I had to do at least one complete tour of the stadium. Even if it’s a bit impressive because there are a lot of people, you feel safe with a lot of police forces present. On the other hand, it’s impossible to blend in with the crowd, I’m a gringo recognizable from afar, at least 30 resellers offered me tickets.
Finally arriving at my door, I am stopped by a policeman who makes me understand that I am a big ball and chain. I am wearing a blue T-shirt that matches the colors of the opposing team. He advises me to buy a jersey to avoid problems. I ask him how much it costs to avoid getting ripped off (too much): 10,000 cops according to him.
I quickly find a seller who asks me for 40,000. I don’t have much time left to negotiate, I get it at 20 000. I am now dressed in a green and white jersey like a perfect supporter.
I stand in line again to enter, light search. I had planned my identity card which I was not asked for but I think it’s safer to have it.
Of course, once entered, no indication to find his place and I have to ask for help again. I sit in my seat 10 minutes before the game starts. It took me almost an hour from the time I got out of the subway until I found my seat.
Where I was, there were children next door, so it must be quiet, too quiet.
The atmosphere
On the other hand, wow, it immediately fills your eyes. The stadium is quite ugly, not covered but what an atmosphere. The game has not started yet, the south stand is already wild: flags, songs, … they will stay standing and jumping during the whole game. The atmosphere is less electric in the other areas of the stadium but the fans take the songs in heart with sometimes an impressive sound volume
Before the start of the match, green smoke is set off and the south stand deploys a huge tarpaulin. Before the start of the second half, a tifo is deployed throughout the stadium using pieces of plastic that had been placed on all the seats
The atmosphere is really incredible, difficult to describe and reminds me of the one I experienced in San Lorenzo, Argentina. For the next games, I will try to get closer to this southern stand, it must be even more impressive.
The match
Well, this is South American soccer… that is to say a rather low level (the best players leave very quickly to Europe).
The technique is sometimes approximate and the placement of the defenders sometimes leaves you wondering. In spite of this, it’s a fight of every moment. Expect more spectacle in the stands than on the grass.
My match will still be correct with a final score of 1 – 1.
You can see the summary on the video below with the famous South American commentaries (“gooooaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllll”) and a small preview of the atmosphere in the stands.
The “Football tour
If you don’t feel reassured at the idea of going to a match alone or if you don’t want to struggle like me to buy your tickets, find access to the stadium, … Know that there are tours that will take care of you 100%. These tours usually include transportation to and from your hotel, the ticket, drinks. Potentially the soccer jersey and the possibility to have your face painted in the colors of the club, …
You’ll pay two to three times more than if you managed it yourself, but it can be worth it
If you are interested, Viator offers such tours for about 40 euros(link Viator).
The Derby
Second game in Medellin, I had the chance to attend a derby! I decided to follow the match in the DIM corner which “officially” played at home.
In my first game, there were no opposing supporters, I thought it was like Argentina where the movement of supporters has been banned for years.
So I was very surprised when I arrived at the station to see only fans dressed in green, the color of Atletico Nacional. I then understood that the DIM fans were rather stopping at the next station “Floresta” while the Atletico fans were stopping at the “Estadio” station. I think this is related to the ease of access to the respective corners.
I was also surprised to find that outside the stadium, the fans of two teams could meet without any animosity. Hard to imagine in France, unthinkable in Argentina.
The atmosphere of a derby is absolutely incredible, do not hesitate to live this experience if you have the opportunity. It’s certainly the best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced in a soccer stadium even if, on the DIM side, the superiority of the opponent quickly lowered the temperature (3 – 0 at half time, 4 – 1 final score). The Sur turn that welcomed the Atletico fans was in total meltdown, if I had to do it again, I would have taken a ticket in this tribune
