On Saturday, Governor Maximiliano Pullaro officially opened the Invencible Arena, the new multi-purpose stadium built by the Government of Santa Fe on the exhibition grounds of Parque Independencia in Rosario, which will be one of the main venues for the 13th South American Games in 2026.
With just over a month to go before the start of the competition, Pullaro highlighted the significance of the project for Rosario: “Seeing just how vast and beautiful this stadium shows us the path that this city and this province are taking. Rosario went through a very difficult period for a long time, and a great deal of work has been done to bring about change, so that decent people can reclaim public spaces and live in peace and tranquillity once again.”
Similarly, the governor stated that the Games will mark a turning point: “We feel that this will be the moment when the people of Rosario and the province of Santa Fe can sense that a new chapter is beginning.”
“Today we are overcoming scepticism, we are overcoming the ‘it can’t be done’ mentality, and we are proving that Rosario and the province of Santa Fe are set to become the sporting capital of the Argentine Republic,” Pullaro emphasised. He added: “This is not simply about inaugurating a project or making a government investment: it is about turning a new page in history. Rosario is going to experience once again what it had ceased to experience; this was the city of culture, the city of dreams.”
Finally, he called on the people of Santa Fe to embrace the Games and the infrastructure that has been built: “The biggest sporting event in Latin America is coming – something we’ve been dreaming of. Let’s hope we can all enjoy it, feel it and experience it. We are the ‘Invincible Province’ of Santa Fe, but we are becoming the ‘unstoppable province’”.
Development update
Also in attendance at the ceremony were Mayor Pablo Javkin; the National Secretary for Tourism, Environment and Sport, Daniel Scioli; the Minister for Public Works, Lisandro Enrico; and the President of Odesur and the Argentine Olympic Committee, Mario Moccia. Also present were the provincial deputy and former governor, Antonio Bonfatti; Senator Ciro Seisas; and the Secretary of Government for the Municipality of Rosario, Sebastián Chale, amongst other officials and representatives from the world Javkin pointed out that the opening marks “the start of a new cycle” for the city and recalled that the project was completed “despite all the scepticism, in less than a year and a half”.
“Once the Games are over, this city, which is undergoing a transformation, will host 80 or 100 cultural events here throughout the year, and the whole country will return to Rosario to enjoy its culture, its sport and its vitality,” he said.
For his part, Scioli maintained that “what we are opening is much more than just a building” and praised the fact that the stadium had been planned with the post-competition period in mind: “It is a hub for sporting, social and cultural development. I congratulate the governor, the mayor and everyone who has joined forces to benefit Santa Fe and Argentine sport.”
A project completed in record time
Enrico pointed out that the infrastructure was completed in 423 days, whereas a construction project of this nature usually takes around two years. “The work was carried out using funds from Santa Fe, with workers from Santa Fe, companies from Santa Fe, and architects and engineers from Santa Fe,” he emphasised. of sport.
The minister from Santa Fe explained that the Invencible Arena was designed to international standards and can be transformed in a matter of hours to host sporting events, conventions, shows and concerts. “The most important thing is that, after the Games, this sporting, cultural and musical infrastructure will remain in Rosario, for the province and for the use and enjoyment of all the people of Santa Fe,” he said.
Moccia, meanwhile, highlighted the legacy that Santa Fe 2026 will leave behind: “Today we are beginning to fulfil a dream. In two and a half years’ time, Argentina’s most important event in the Olympic cycle will become a reality.” He went on to list: “What remains here is infrastructure, equipment, trained staff and housing complexes which, after the Games, will serve many families.”
A legacy that goes beyond sport
The Invencible Arena has 7,800 square metres of covered space and a main hall measuring 6,300 square metres. During Santa Fe 2026, it will host the gymnastics competitions and, once the Games are over, it will remain a multi-purpose venue for sporting and cultural activities, conferences and major events.
From 12 to 26 September, Rosario, Santa Fe and Rafaela will welcome more than 4,000 athletes from 15 countries, who will compete in 43 sports and 60 disciplines at the largest international sporting event ever organised in the province’s history.
