Estádio da Luz
Football stadium in Lisbon, Portugal From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Estádio da Luz (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɨˈʃtaðju ðɐ ˈluʃ]), officially named Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is used mostly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Portuguese club Benfica, its owner.
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| Full name | Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica |
|---|---|
| Address | Av. Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, 1500-313 |
| Location | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Coordinates | 38.7527°N 9.1847°W |
| Public transit | Azul at Alto dos Moinhos Azul at Colégio Militar/Luz |
| Owner | S.L. Benfica |
| Operator | S.L. Benfica |
| Executive suites | 156 |
| Capacity | 64,642 |
| Record attendance | Official match: 64,591[1] (13 May 2017) All-time: 65,400 (25 October 2003) |
| Field size | 105 x 68 m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Yes |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2003 |
| Opened | 25 October 2003 |
| Construction cost | €160 million[2] |
| Architect | HOK Sport (now Populous) |
| Tenants | |
| Benfica (2003–present) Benfica B (2003–2006, 2012–2013) Benfica women's (2018–present; selected matches) Portugal national football team (selected matches) | |
| Website | |
| slbenfica.pt | |
Opened on 25 October 2003 with an exhibition match between Benfica and Uruguayan club Nacional, it replaced the original Estádio da Luz, which had 120,000 seats. The seating capacity of the new stadium is currently set at 64,642.[3] The stadium was designed by HOK Sport Venue Event (now Populous) and had a construction cost of €160 million,[4] of which €22,596,688 was supported by the Government of Portugal for the UEFA Euro 2004.[5]
A UEFA category four stadium and one of the biggest stadiums by capacity in Europe (the biggest in Portugal), Estádio da Luz hosted several matches of the UEFA Euro 2004, including its final, as well as the 2014 and 2020 finals of the UEFA Champions League. It was elected the most beautiful stadium of Europe in a 2014 online poll by L'Équipe.[6][7][8] By its fifteenth birthday, Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica Luz had welcomed more than 17 million spectators.[9] The stadium is one of the potential venues for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Portugal will co-host along with Morocco and Spain.
Naming
While the previous Benfica stadium was also officially named "Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica", both the old and the new stadia are invariably referred to by their unofficial name, Estádio da Luz. Luz is the name of the neighborhood the stadium was built on, on the border between the parishes of Benfica and Carnide, which itself derives its name from the nearby Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Luz (Church of Our Lady of Light). This unofficial name caught on soon after the original stadium's construction;[10] the people of Lisbon used to simply call it a Luz ("the Light"). Therefore, the stadium's common name became "Estádio da Luz", which is usually anglicised to "Stadium of Light".[11] This translation, however, could be argued to be inaccurate, since Luz refers not to "light" but to the original address of the stadium: Estrada da Luz ("Road of Light").[12][13]
Characteristics
Architect Damon Lavelle,[14] from HOK Sport Venue Event (now Populous), designed the stadium to focus on light and transparency. Its polycarbonate roof allows the sunlight to penetrate the stadium in order to illuminate it. The roof, which is supported by tie-beams of four steel arches, seems to float on the underlying tribunes. The arches are 43 metres (141 feet) high and help define the look of the stadium, after having been shaped to be similar to the wavy profile of its three tiers. According to Lavelle, the seating capacity may be increased up to 80,000.[15] However, the most realistic option is to expand by selling standing places, which would require a change in the law.[16]
In June 2024, Sport Lisboa e Benfica announced that it would increase the stadium's capacity to nearly 66,000 spectators by adding 950 seats in a row of seats around the stadium reserved for people with motor disabilities.[17]
Sports events
Summarize
Perspective
Opening game
Benfica  | 2–1 |  Nacional |
|---|---|---|
Nuno Gomes  7', 47' |
Report | Mello 11' |
Attendance: 65,400
Referee: Pedro Proença (Portugal)
In the opening match, Benfica beat Uruguayan side Nacional 2–1 with goals from Nuno Gomes, who became the first ever scorer at the Estádio da Luz.
UEFA Euro 2004 Final
| Portugal | 0–1 |  Greece |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Charisteas 57' |
Attendance: 62,865
Referee: Markus Merk (Germany)
2014 UEFA Champions League final
Real Madrid  | 4–1 (a.e.t.) | Atlético Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Ramos 90+3' Bale 110'Marcelo 118'Ronaldo 120' (pen.) |
Report | Godín 36' |
Attendance: 60,976[18]
Referee: Björn Kuipers (Netherlands)
Highest attendance official match
Attendance: 64,591
Referee: Jorge Sousa (Porto)
On round 33 of the 2016–17 Primeira Liga, in a match where Benfica were crowned national champions for a fourth consecutive season (a new achievement for them), Estádio da Luz recorded its best attendance in official matches.[1]
2019–20 UEFA Champions League
Quarter-finals
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)
Final
Paris Saint-Germain  | 0–1 |  Bayern Munich |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Coman 59' |
Attendance: 0[a]
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)
Portugal national team matches
The following national team matches were held in the stadium.
Euro 2004 matches
Benfica matches in UEFA competitions
- As of match played 5 March 2025
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- All-time statistics
- 117 matches: 71 wins, 21 draws, 25 losses
- 201 goals scored, 108 goals conceded
Other events
Ceremonies
| Date | Organizing Entity | Event | Total audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 July 2007 | New 7 Wonders Foundation | New 7 Wonders of the World | 50,000[21] |
Concerts
| Date | Artist/band | Concert tour | Total audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 June 2019 | Ed Sheeran[22] | ÷ Tour | 120,716[23] |
| 26 June 2023 | Rammstein[24] | Rammstein Stadium Tour | 50,000[25] |
| 24–25 May 2024 | Taylor Swift[26] | The Eras Tour | 120,000[27] |
| 26 June 2025 | Imagine Dragons[28] | Loom World Tour | - |
Religious meetings
| Date | Organizing Entity | Event | Total audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28–30 June 2019 | International Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses | Love Never Fails | 63,390[29] |
| 4 August 2023 | World Youth Day | The Change | 44,000[30] |
See also
Notes
- The match was played behind closed doors to comply with restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
External links
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