Estadio Alberto José Armando

La Bombonera (officially Estadio Alberto J. Armando) sits in La Boca, the lively, colorful working-class district of Buenos Aires. It is the home of Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's most decorated clubs. Opened in 1940, the ground takes its nickname from its unusual shape, which looks like a box of chocolates. That design came down to the constraints of the neighborhood: with little room to build, the architects raised three almost vertical stands and a fourth, much narrower one.

With a capacity of around 57,000, it is a fairly compact stadium, and that very density is what gives it its character. The stands sit close to the pitch, the acoustics are sharp, and the seating is steeply raked. Together, it can feel as if the whole ground is shaking. The famous saying "La Bombonera doesn't tremble, it beats" is no exaggeration.

On matchdays, especially for the Superclásico against River Plate, the atmosphere reaches a level few grounds can match: nonstop chanting, blue-and-gold tifos, and the famous La 12, the ultras who set the tempo for the entire stadium.

The experience is all the more striking because Boca no longer sells tickets to the general public. The stadium is filled almost entirely by socios, so visitors have to go through specialist agencies.

La Bombonera is a place of pilgrimage in part because of its close ties to Diego Maradona. He shone here in 1981, was given a standing ovation at his testimonial in 2001, and when he died, his box was left lit through the night while supporters gathered outside the ground to pay tribute.

A stadium tour includes access to the stands, the dressing rooms, and the Museo de la Pasión Boquense, which traces the careers of great xeneizes players such as Maradona, Riquelme and Palermo.

With its unusual architecture, its central place in the story of El Pibe de Oro and its reputation as the most intense arena in South America, La Bombonera is a must-visit for any groundhopping fan.