San Siro

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as the San Siro, is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy. It is often called "La Scala del calcio," which means "The Scala of football" in Italian. It is the biggest stadium in Italy and one of the largest in Europe.

The San Siro is where two famous football teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan, play their home games. They compete in a special match called the Derby della Madonnina.

In 1980, the stadium was named after Giuseppe Meazza, a player who won two World Cups and played for Inter Milan.

The San Siro has hosted many important events. It was used for games in the 1934 FIFA World Cup, the 1990 FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Euro 1980, and several European Cup finals. It also held the opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

History

Construction of the San Siro stadium began in 1925 in the San Siro district of Milan. It was first called Nuovo Stadio Calcistico San Siro. The idea to build it came from the president of AC Milan. The design was inspired by English football stadiums and had four separate stands.

The stadium opened on September 19, 1926, with Inter defeating Milan 6–3 in front of many fans. It was first owned by Milan but later bought by the City Council. In 1947, Inter moved in, and the two teams have shared the stadium ever since.

Over the years, the stadium has had many changes and expansions. In 1980, it was named after Giuseppe Meazza, a famous Milanese footballer. Big changes happened between 1987 and 1990 for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, making the stadium bigger and adding a cover.

The San Siro has hosted many important matches, including European Cup and UEFA Champions League finals. It has also been used by the Italy national team and other clubs for big games.

Recently, there have been plans to build a new stadium to replace the San Siro. The new stadium would have many seats and modern facilities. However, these plans are still being worked on, and the San Siro will keep being used until the new stadium is ready.

International football matches

Italy national team

1934 FIFA World Cup

The San Siro stadium was one of the big venues for the 1934 FIFA World Cup. It hosted three matches.

UEFA Euro 1980

The stadium was chosen as one of the four places to hold matches during the UEFA Euro 1980.

1990 FIFA World Cup

The stadium was one of the places where matches were held during the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Six matches took place there.

2021 UEFA Nations League Finals

The stadium was one of the two places chosen to host the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals matches.

Other sports

San Siro has been used for many different sports besides football. In 2026, it will host the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The stadium also hosted a famous boxing match in 1960. It has also been a venue for rugby games, including matches between Italy and Romania and between Italy and New Zealand.

Concerts

Since the 1980s, the stadium has been a popular place for big concerts by famous artists from around the world. The first artist to perform there was Bob Marley in 1980. Many famous musicians have played there, including Bob Dylan, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, U2, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, and Taylor Swift.

Some Italian artists have also performed there. Edoardo Bennato was the first Italian to have a full house, and Laura Pausini was the first woman to perform there. Vasco Rossi holds records for the most shows at the stadium and the most shows in a row.

Transport connections

The San Siro stadium is in the northwest part of Milan. You can get there by subway using the special San Siro subway station on line M5, which is right in front of the stadium. You can also take tram line 16, which stops right at the stadium. Another subway stop, Lotto subway station on line M1 and line M5, is about a 15-minute walk from the stadium.

Stations nearby:

A panorama of the stadium

Average attendances