This Sunday's Superclásico will once again break the record for the highest number of fans in a single match, however, it is not the highest in all of history. There was a match just over 50 years ago where the number of people who witnessed the clásico was greater.
When looking for the match with the most spectators between Boca and River, the 1976 National Tournament final, played at Racing's stadium, seems to top the list. There, Boca, who had won the Metropolitano that year, faced Labruna's River, two-time champion in 1975 after winning the Metro and the National, after 18 years without titles.
La final del Metropolitano 76 fue el partido con más hinchas de la historia de los Superclásicos
River had eliminated Talleres de Córdoba in the semifinals of the National 76 and Boca did the same with Huracán, both by 1-0. The final of that tournament packed the Cilindro, with a crowd comparable only to the 1967 Intercontinental final between the Academia and the Scottish Celtic, where there were 120,000 people in Avellaneda.
The Cilindro did not have seats in the upper tier, so the number of spectators that entered was enormous. At that time, the stadium had authorization for 95,000 spectators, but it is estimated that between guests, security, press, and people who sneaked in, it exceeded 100,000.
That night of December 22, 1976, Racing's stadium seemed about to burst. At the ticket offices, 69,099 tickets were sold, but those who were there assure that the figure was much higher.
El Cilindro estaba a reventar
Those who witnessed that night in Avellaneda confirm this figure and join those who consider it the Superclásico match with the highest attendance. If we assume that the number of people exceeded 90,000, it is clear that this match occupies the first place without a doubt, since, not having seats in the upper stands, the capacity was much greater and allowed for a larger attendance.
Today, the Monumental has been expanded and exceeds 85,000 people, making it the stadium with the largest capacity in Argentine soccer. Currently, most of the other stadiums have reduced their capacities due to the incorporation of seats, fences to separate troublemakers, and prudent distances to prevent the public from being next to the teams' exits.
