Estádio da Luz

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 Sport Lisboa e Benfica, its owner. Opened on 25 October 2003 with an exhibition match between Benfica and Uruguayan club Nacional, it replaced the original Estádio da Luz, which between 1985 and 1994 had a capacity of 120,000 seats. The seating capacity of the new stadium is currently set at 68,100. The stadium was designed by HOK Sport Venue Event (now Populous) and had a construction cost of €160 million, of which €22,596,688 was supported by the Government of Portugal for the UEFA Euro 2004. 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. By its fifteenth birthday, Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica Luz had welcomed more than 17 million spectators. 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; 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". 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"). Characteristics Architect Damon Lavelle, 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 from 64,642 to 80,000. However, the most realistic option is to expand by selling standing places, which would require a change in the law. In June 2024, 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. In July 2025, Benfica concluded renovations and increased the stadium capacity to 68,100 spectators. Sports events Opening game 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 2014 UEFA Champions League final 2019–20 UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals Final Highest attendance official match The official record was broken in the Round of 32 match of the 2025–26 Champions League. Portugal national team matches The following national team matches were held in the stadium. UEFA Euro 2004 Benfica matches in UEFA competitions As of match played 5 March 2025 All-time statistics 117 matches: 71 wins, 21 draws, 25 losses 201 goals scored, 108 goals conceded Other events Ceremonies Concerts Religious meetings See also List of football stadiums in Portugal Lists of stadiums Notes References External links Official website Estádio da Luz at Structurae