The Free State Stadium, currently known as the Toyota Stadium, was built in 1995 to host the Rugby World Cup. It served as a venue for several major tournaments, including the African Cup of Nations and the Confederations Cup.
In 2007, the city of Bloemfontein spent money to upgrade the stadium for the FIFA World Cup. A second tier was added to the main grandstand on the western side of the ground, and the floodlights were upgraded, increasing the net capacity from 36,538 to 40,911.
In 2025, the stadium was downgraded to Class C status, meaning it was no longer eligible to host international rugby matches. However, an upgrade was completed in February 2026, restoring it to Class B status and once again making it eligible to host international matches.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Mutabor
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