Bolivia has always been a difficult place to play.

Now the challenge is even higher. Literally.

The men's national football team is hoping that hosting World Cup qualifiers at an altitude higher than ever will help it improve in the South American standings.

The Bolivians usually play in the capital La Paz at 3,640 metres (11,940 feet) above sea level, but the South American football body CONMEBOL has allowed them to move their games to El Alto, the second largest city in the country at an altitude of 4,150 metres (13,615 feet). That's as high as nine Empire State Buildings on top of each other.

New Bolivia coach Oscar Villegas will make his debut after replacing Antonio Carlos Zago. Villegas hopes to exploit the higher altitude against Venezuela by picking a squad in which 80 per cent of the players are used to the thinner air.

On El Alto Municipal Stadium's green grass, marked in white, is the phrase, “You play where you live.”

Not everyone agrees that first-class football should be played at high altitudes.

In 2007, Fifa criticised matches at the height of La Paz and ruled that international games could not be played above 2,750 meters. However, the next year Fifa backtracked after objections from Bolivia, where most stadiums are above that altitude.

But there is little research on playing football at more than 4,000 metres above sea level, as will occur on Thursday.

“We always recommend that any athlete have a prior evaluation before coming to altitude and an adaptation period,” said Jesus Jimenez, a researcher at the Bolivian Institute of High-Altitude Biology.

He was skeptical about claims that the high altitude gives Bolivia an advantage, noting that “Bolivia have lost before on their home ground.”