The 1960 Valdivia earthquake caused severe damage to several stadiums in Chile , upsetting the calendar for the World Cup . On September 30 , 1960 , the Corporation of Development of Chile ( Corfo ) provided economic contributions toward the construction of the Antofagasta stadium , under the condition that work began before March 1 , 1961 . Mayor Santiago Gajardo handed over the land to the Santiago-based Wedeles , Balmaceda , Mathieu and Company , Ltd. on January 5 , 1961 . The work officially began on January 18 . However , due to financial problems , construction was postponed and the committee responsible was dissolved . Work resumed on July 3 , 1961 with the demolition of the riding club 's facilities . Calvo and Bascuñan reformed the construction committee and secured government and private funding , though they 'd lost the opportunity to host the 1962 World Cup . On July 9 , 1962 , Razmilic and Co. restarted the unfinished work
1960 Valdivia earthquake
1960 Valdivia earthquake
Estadio Regional de Antofagasta