Bernabéu, Madrid

Bernabéu is Real Madrid’s football stadium, a vast retractable-roof venue in Madrid’s Chamartín district. Its current seating capacity is 83,186 after a major renovation completed in late 2024, and Real Madrid has played its home matches here since the stadium was completed in 1947. The stadium carries the name of Santiago Bernabéu, the former Real Madrid player and president who guided its creation.

The project grew from a practical problem: the old Campo de Chamartín could no longer accommodate the club’s audience. Bernabéu pushed for a much larger ground, and the winning design came from architects Manuel Muñoz Monasterio and Luis Alemany Soler. Construction began in June 1945 under their direction, with engineer Carlos Fernández Casado involved as well.

The stadium opened on 14 December 1947 during a friendly match against Portugal’s Os Belenenses. Its history on the international stage is remarkable: it has hosted four European Cup or UEFA Champions League finals, along with the 1964 European Nations’ Cup final and the 1982 FIFA World Cup final. A return fixture in the 2018 Copa Libertadores final was also played here, connecting two major continental competitions at one venue.