With less than nine months to go before the start of the 2026 South American Games, which will be hosted by the cities of Santa Fe, Rosario and Rafaela, the Provincial Government is continuing with the construction of the sports infrastructure needed to host one of the most important international events of the year.
In the provincial capital, the renovated High Performance Sports Centre (CARD) is taking shape on the site located at Raúl Tacca and Cristóbal Colón, and columns, beams and slabs of the stands can already be seen assembled on three of the four sides of the new micro-stadium.
Within the framework of the multiple construction projects being carried out by the Province in the three host cities of the South American Games, the Minister of Public Works, Lisandro Enrico, remarked: "With all these sports architecture projects that we are completing in record time, the government led by Maximiliano Pullaro is demonstrating the potential that we Santa Fe residents have. We are talking about more than a thousand workers who are putting a lot of effort into moving the projects forward so that we can be ready in time for the games, but they are also building venues that can be used in the future for multiple events."
"The CARD Microstadium in Santa Fe will have a total capacity of 3,472 people and 74 press seats, in what will be a sports venue suitable for all indoor Olympic disciplines but also for a variety of recreational, cultural and educational uses," explained Enrico.
Investment
"The project already features the two main 70-metre-long beams and the first secondary cross beams that will form the roof of the multi-purpose stadium in the capital of Santa Fe. The metal roof structure is expected to be completed by the end of January," he added.
Ahead of the 2026 South American Games, the Government of Santa Fe is investing $90 million in infrastructure for the construction of 10 international-level sports facilities. In addition, Sports Villages with a capacity of more than 3,500 beds are being built in the three cities that will host the international event.
It should be noted that the sports facilities being built by the province are: the Multiespacio Arena del Predio Ferial, the Microestadio del Parque Independencia, the Centro Acuático Provincial and the Cubierta Paseo XXI in Rosario; the Multipurpose Stadium at the High Performance Sports Centre (CARD) and the CARD Athletics Track in Santa Fe; the Shooting Range in Recreo; and the Multipurpose Stadium in the Youth District, the Indoor Velodrome and the Regional Park Sports Area in Rafaela.
Progress
The western block of the infrastructure that will form the new micro-stadium is the most advanced in terms of the concrete structure (columns, beams and slabs). The contractor is pouring compression layers on the mezzanine floors, the first section of the lift partition and levelled concrete floors. This section will house the boxes, changing rooms and press boxes.
The grandstand structure on the south and north sides is also well advanced, with beams, mezzanine slabs and grandstand slabs currently being installed. As for the east block, the entire precast concrete structure is expected to be completed in early February.
The metal structure is 100% complete, with some parts assembled on site and others in the factory for better space organisation. With this work, the CARD Micro Stadium in Santa Fe is now more than 30% complete.
Works forever
In addition to the construction of the Microestadio, work is also underway in the capital of Santa Fe on the comprehensive renovation of the CARD, which mainly includes the complete replacement of the athletics track and the construction of a grandstand for 900 spectators.
These two projects will create a high-performance sports centre in the south of the capital city, equipped with the best technology and suitable for major national and international events. Once the 2026 South American Games are over, these projects will remain as a legacy for the province and city of Santa Fe.
It should be noted that the Government of Santa Fe is also building two other similar stadiums in the city of Rosario and one in the city of Rafaela.
