Construction of the stadium first began in 1956 to better promote sport in
Piura. The stadium inauguration and completion was on 7 June 1958 with an initial capacity of 10,000. The first match held was between home team
Atlético Grau and
Club Indoamericano and later rivals
Alianza Lima and
Universitario, being the 100th game of the
Peruvian Clásico. In 2003, the stadium began a remodelization project with an investment of about $500 million in preparation for the
2004 Copa América. The project expanded the stadium to 25,000, new lighting,
luxury boxes, dressing rooms, an artifitual turf, and an electronic scoreboard. The stadium hosted two Group Stage along with
Estadio Elías Aguirre in
Chiclayo. In 2019, a second modernization project was underway for the
2021 FIFA U-17 World Cup but was canceled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The project then came back once Peru was awarded hosting rights for the
2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup with a planned expansion to 26,000. Atletico Grau had to move to
Estadio Municipal de Bernal until the remodelization was complete. Construction slowed down and Peru was stripped of hosting and the stadium was left abandoned. Multiple projects were announced to improve sporting infrastructure in the north of Peru, with Estadio Miguel Grau and others left abandoned and in a collapsing state, with their last matches being 5 years ago. None of these projects materialized. In 2024, the Instituto Peruano del Deporte (IPD) announced that the stadium will be renovated. Construction will begin in April 2025, and will give the stadium a modern look, covered roof, along with renovating the surrounding sports buildings. However, controversy rose after the IPD decided to remove the running track, which will allow for a larger field but also a smaller capacity of 20,200. A new track will be built at the Colegio San Miguel. ==References==