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 Interactive map of Estádio do Dragão | |
| Location | Porto, Portugal |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°09′42″N8°35′02″W / 41.1618°N 8.5839°W /41.1618; -8.5839 |
| Public transit |  Estádio do Dragão |
| Owner | FC Porto |
| Operator | Porto Estádio(FC Porto Group) |
| Executive suites | 96 |
| Capacity | 50,033 |
| Record attendance | 52,004(16 November 2003) FC Porto 2–0FC Barcelona |
| Field size | 105 x 68 m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Samsung P10LED screens[1] |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 16 November 2003; 22 years ago (2003-11-16) |
| Construction cost | €125 million[2] |
| Architect | Manuel Salgado |
| General contractor | Somague |
| Tenants | |
| FC Porto (2003–present) Portugal national football team (selected matches) | |
| Website | |
| fcporto.pt | |
TheEstádio do Dragão (Portuguese pronunciation:[ɨˈʃtaðjuðuðɾɐˈɣɐ̃w];English:Dragon Stadium) is anall-seaterfootballstadium inPorto, Portugal, and the home ground ofFC Porto since 2003. It has aseating capacity of 50,033, making it thethird-largest football stadium in Portugal.
Designed by Portuguese architect Manuel Salgado, the stadium was constructed to replace Porto's former ground, theEstádio das Antas, along with becoming one of the host venues for theUEFA Euro 2004 final tournament. The inauguration took place on 16 November 2003 with a friendly match againstBarcelona, setting an attendance record of 52,000 spectators.[3]
AUEFA category four stadium, it has held several international club and national team competition matches, including the2019 UEFA Nations League Final and2021 UEFA Champions League Final. The stadium is planned and loss of hosting right for2020 UEFA Super Cup toBudapest.
The stadium is one of the potential venues for the2030 FIFA World Cup which Portugal will co-host along with Morocco and Spain.
Construction works began in late 2001, and were completed in November 2003, some months after what was expected, since in February 2002, Porto mayorRui Rio changed the estate distribution, criticizing the plan for including high-scale housing and shopping for the area.[4] These actions forced the chairman of FC Porto,Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, to halt all building operations, which were only resumed after a consensus was reached.[5]
Designed by Portuguese architect Manuel Salgado[4] and built by Portuguese contractor Somague, it cost €125 million to build,[6] of which €18,076,409 was supported from thePortuguese state.[7] To help underwrite costs, each stand carries one or two sponsor names:Super Bock (south),tmn (east),meo (west), andCoca-Cola (north stand). Away fans are placed in the right corner of the upper tier of the east stand, while home Ultra groups, Super Dragões and Colectivo Ultras 95, occupy the south stand and the north stand, respectively, like on the old stadium.
The stadium was inaugurated on November 16, 2003, with a match againstFC Barcelona, which featured the debut of a 16-year-oldLionel Messi in theSpanish side. Porto won 2–0 with goals byDerlei andHugo Almeida. Due to severe turf problems, however, Porto was forced to return and play in the oldEstádio das Antas, until the turf was replanted by mid-February 2004.
The stadium is characterized by a frame of 21 000 m2 ofazulejos.[8]
Prior to the inauguration, the stadium's name was debated internally between elements of Porto's administration, with various alternatives in consideration, such as retaining the old name, Estádio das Antas (officially, unlike the former stadium), or name it after some of the club's biggest historical figures like former playerArtur de Sousa Pinga, managerJosé Maria Pedroto or presidentJorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, the latter being, the one with most gathered consensus but ended dismissed by the president himself.[9] After a deliberation period, the name Estádio do Dragão was revealed to the general public.[10]
The Dragon is in our symbol and the coat of arms of the city, there was no better to symbolize the strength and vitality of FC Porto, neither the certainty of our future. There is no name that mythologically or ideologically conveys the will of new conquests like that of the Dragon.
— Pinto da Costa, on the stadium name (May 2003)[11]
The followingnational team matches were held in the stadium.
| # | Date | Score | Opponent | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 12 June 2004 | 1–2 |  Greece | Euro 2004 Group Stage |
| 2. | 12 October 2005 | 3–0 |  Latvia | 2006 World Cup Qualification |
| 3. | 21 November 2007 | 0–0 |  Finland | Euro 2008 Qualifying |
| 4. | 28 March 2009 | 0–0 |  Sweden | 2010 World Cup Qualification |
| 5. | 8 October 2010 | 3–1 |  Denmark | Euro 2012 Qualifying |
| 6. | 7 October 2011 | 5–3 |  Iceland | Euro 2012 Qualifying |
| 7. | 16 October 2012 | 1–1 |  Northern Ireland | 2014 World Cup Qualification |
| 8. | 29 May 2016 | 3–0 |  Norway | Friendly |
| 9. | 5 June 2019 | 3–1 |  Switzerland | 2019 Nations League Semi-finals |
| 10. | 9 June 2019 | 1–0 |  Netherlands | 2019 Nations League Final |
| 11. | 5 September 2020 | 4–1 |  Croatia | 2020–21 Nations League Group Stage |
| 12. | 24 March 2022 | 3–1 |  Turkey | 2022 World Cup Qualification |
| 13. | 29 March 2022 | 2–0 |  North Macedonia | 2022 World Cup Qualification |
| 14. | 13 October 2023 | 3–2 |  Slovakia | Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 15. | 15 November 2024 | 5–1 |  Poland | 2024–25 Nations League Group Stage |
| 16. | 16 November 2025 | 9–1 |  Armenia | 2026 World Cup Qualification |
Constructed to become one of the venues of theUEFA Euro 2004 tournament, it staged the inaugural match between hostsPortugal and eventual winnersGreece, as well as three group stage, one quarterfinal, and one semifinal fixtures.
| Date | Time (WEST) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June 2004 | 17:00 |  Portugal | 1–2 | Greece | Group A (opening match) | 48,761 |
| 15 June 2004 | 19:45 |  Germany | 1–1 | Netherlands | Group D | 48,197 |
| 18 June 2004 |  Italy | 1–1 | Sweden | Group C | 44,926 | |
| 27 June 2004 |  Czech Republic | 3–0 | Denmark | Quarter-finals | 41,092 | |
| 1 July 2004 | Greece | 1–0 (aet) | Czech Republic | Semi-finals | 42,449 |
One of the venues of the2019 UEFA Nations League Finals.
| Date | Time (WEST) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 June 2019 | 19:45 | Portugal | 3–1 | Switzerland | Semi-finals | 42,415 |
| 9 June 2019 | 1–0 | Netherlands | Final | 43,199 |
The final originally planned at theAtatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, but was moved due totravel restrictions by England government caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic in Turkey,[12] the final hosts were shifted back a two-year, with Istanbul instead hosting the 2023 final. Chelsea FC won the match 1–0 against Manchester City, with Kai Havertz scoring the only goal.
| UEFA Champions League finals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Attendance |
| 2020–21 | Chelsea | 1–0 | Manchester City | 14,110 |
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A major source of income granted by the infrastructure is the planned capability to monetize on organizing events outside of regular football matches. Those extend from business meetings, congresses, summits, festivals, expos and other sports competitions.[13] For example, theROC committee picked the stadium to host the2009 Race of Champions South Europe Regional Final, therefore, the grass pitch was converted into an asphalt course in order to accommodate the race.[14] The 2019 ESSMA Summit is also noteworthy by having joined several clubs, leagues and federations representatives together at the venue to discuss matters on the developments and trends of the football industry.[15]
In addition, through different music promoters and specialized event management companies, the stadium already served as a concert venue to fourinternational tour schedules from recognized musical artists along with selected opening acts.
| Date | Performer(s) | Tour / Event | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 August 2006 | The Rolling Stones The Dandy Warhols | A Bigger Bang Tour | 47,801 | [16] |
| 18 May 2012 | Coldplay Marina and the Diamonds /Rita Ora | Mylo Xyloto Tour | 52,457 | [17] |
| 10 June 2013 | Muse We Are the Ocean | The 2nd Law World Tour | 45,000 | [18] |
| 13 July 2014 | One Direction D.A.M.A | Where We Are Tour | 45,001 | [19] |
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Access byvehicle is possible through the VCI (Via de Cintura Interna), a roadway that passes right next to the stadium, granting a direct connection. In the event of coming from the city center, driving down the main Alameda da Antas is another viable route towards the destination. In spite of this, the recommendation is the use of thepublic transports, which results in a better flux of public movement around the perimeter. Havingits own station combined with the infrastructure, themetro functions as the main way of reaching the stadium, with different lines linking the various city areas and a direct connection to the internationalFrancisco Sá Carneiro Airport. Alternatively, theSTCP bus service also grants routes for the purpose and there are 150 bicycle parking spots available.[20][21]
| Transport | Lines | Stations / Routes |
|---|---|---|
Metro |  | Estádio do Dragão ⇄ Senhor de Matosinhos |
 | Estádio do Dragão ⇄ Póvoa de Varzim | |
 | Estádio do Dragão ⇄ Airport | |
 | Fânzeres ⇄ Senhora da Hora | |
 Bus | 401 | Bolhão (Mercado) ⇄ S. Roque |
| 806 | Marquês ⇄ Av. Carvalha (Via Portelinha) |
| Preceded by None | UEFA Nations League Final venue 2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | UEFA Champions League Final venue 2021 | Succeeded by |
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| Related articles | |
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