Estádio da Luz
UEFA
Interactive map of Estádio da Luz
Full nameEstádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica
AddressAv. Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, 1500-313
LocationLisbon, Portugal
Coordinates38°45′10″N 9°11′05″W / 38.7527°N 9.1847°W / 38.7527; -9.1847
OwnerSL Benfica
OperatorBenfica
Capacity68,100[2]
Executive suites156
SurfaceGrass
ScoreboardYes
Record attendance66,387 (17 February 2026)
SL Benfica 0–1 Real Madrid[3]
Field size105 x 68 m
Public transit  Azul  at Alto dos Moinhos
 Azul  at Colégio Militar/Luz
Construction
Broke ground2003
Opened25 October 2003
Construction cost€160 million[1]
ArchitectHOK Sport (now Populous)
Tenants
SL Benfica (2003–present)
Benfica B (2003–2006, 2012–2013)
Benfica women (2018–present; selected matches)
Portugal national football team (selected matches)
Website
slbenfica.pt

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.

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.[4] The stadium was designed by HOK Sport Venue Event (now Populous) and had a construction cost of €160 million,[1] 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 from 64,642[15] to 80,000.[16] However, the most realistic option is to expand by selling standing places, which would require a change in the law.[17]

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.[18]

In July 2025, Benfica concluded renovations and increased the stadium capacity to 68,100 spectators.[4]

Sports events

Opening game

Benfica 2–1 Nacional
Nuno Gomes 7', 47' Report Mello 11'
Attendance: 65,400Referee: 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: 62,865Referee: 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[19]Referee: Björn Kuipers (Netherlands)

2019–20 UEFA Champions League

Quarter-finals

Barcelona 2–8 Bayern Munich
Report
Attendance: 0[20][a]Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

Final

Paris Saint-Germain 0–1 Bayern Munich
Report Coman 59'
Attendance: 0[a]Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)

Highest attendance official match

Benfica 0–1 Real Madrid
Report Vinicius Júnior 50'
Attendance: 66,387Referee: François Letexier (France)

The official record was broken in the Round of 32 match of the 2025–26 Champions League.[3]

Portugal national team matches

The following national team matches were held in the stadium.

# Date Score Opponent Competition
1 16 June 2004 2–0  Russia Euro 2004 Group Stage
2 24 June 2004 2–2[21]  England Euro 2004 Quarter-Finals
3 4 July 2004 0–1  Greece Euro 2004 Final
4 4 June 2005 2–0  Slovakia 2006 World Cup qualification
5 8 September 2007 2–2  Poland Euro 2008 qualifying
6 10 October 2009 3–0  Hungary 2010 World Cup qualification
7 14 November 2009 1–0  Bosnia and Herzegovina 2010 World Cup UEFA play-offs
8 17 November 2010 4–0  Spain Friendly
9 4 June 2011 1–0  Norway Euro 2012 qualifying
10 15 November 2011 6–2  Bosnia and Herzegovina Euro 2012 qualifying play-offs
11 2 June 2012 1–3  Turkey Friendly
12 7 June 2013 1–0  Russia 2014 World Cup qualification
13 15 November 2013 1–0  Sweden 2014 World Cup UEFA play-offs
14 29 March 2015 2–1  Serbia Euro 2016 qualifying
15 8 June 2016 7–0  Estonia Friendly
16 25 March 2017 3–0  Hungary 2018 World Cup qualification
17 10 October 2017 2–0   Switzerland
18 7 June 2018 3–0  Algeria Friendly
19 10 September 2018 1–0  Italy 2018–19 UEFA Nations League
20 22 March 2019 0–0  Ukraine Euro 2020 qualifying
21 25 March 2019 1–1  Serbia
22 11 November 2020 7–0  Andorra Friendly
23 14 November 2020 0–1  France 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
24 14 November 2021 1–2  Serbia 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
25 17 June 2023 3–0  Bosnia and Herzegovina UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
26 5 September 2024 2–1  Croatia 2024–25 UEFA Nations League
27 8 September 2024 2–1  Scotland

Euro 2004 matches

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
13 June 2004  France 2–1  England Group B 62,487
16 June 2004  Russia 0–2  Portugal Group A 59,273
21 June 2004  Croatia 2–4  England Group B 57,047
24 June 2004  Portugal 2–2 (6–5 on pen.) Quarter-finals 62,564
4 July 2004 0–1  Greece Final 62,864

Benfica matches in UEFA competitions

As of match played 5 March 2025
  • 2004–05
  • 1–0 Anderlecht (UEFA Champions League)
  • 2–0 Dukla Banská Bystrica (UEFA Cup)
  • 4–2 Heerenveen
  • 2–0 Dinamo Zagreb
  • 1–1 CSKA Moscow
  • 2006–07
  • 3–0 Austria Wien (UEFA Champions League)
  • 0–1 Manchester United
  • 3–0 Celtic
  • 3–1 Copenhagen
  • 1–0 Dinamo București (UEFA Cup)
  • 3–1 Paris Saint-Germain
  • 0–0 Espanyol
  • 2007–08
  • 2–1 Copenhagen (UEFA Champions League)
  • 0–1 Shakhtar Donetsk
  • 1–0 Celtic
  • 1–1 Milan
  • 1–0 Nürnberg (UEFA Cup)
  • 1–2 Getafe
  • 2009–10 UEFA Europa League
  • 4–0 Vorskla
  • 2–0 BATE Borisov
  • 5–0 Everton
  • 2–1 AEK Athens
  • 4–0 Hertha Berlin
  • 1–1 Marseille
  • 2–1 Liverpool
  • 2010–11
  • 2–0 Hapoel (UEFA Champions League)
  • 4–3 Lyon
  • 1–2 Schalke 04
  • 2–1 Stuttgart (UEFA Europa League)
  • 2–1 Paris Saint-Germain
  • 4–1 PSV Eindhoven
  • 2–1 Braga
  • 2011–12 UEFA Champions League
  • 2–0 Trabzonspor
  • 3–1 Twente
  • 1–1 Manchester United
  • 1–1 Basel
  • 1–0 Oțelul Galați
  • 2–0 Zenit
  • 0–1 Chelsea
  • 2012–13
  • 0–2 Barcelona (UEFA Champions League)
  • 2–0 Spartak Moscow
  • 2–1 Celtic
  • 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen (UEFA Europa League)
  • 1–0 Bordeaux
  • 3–1 Newcastle United
  • 3–1 Fenerbahçe
  • 2013–14
  • 2–0 Anderlecht (UEFA Champions League)
  • 1–1 Olympiacos
  • 2–1 Paris Saint-Germain
  • 3–0 PAOK (UEFA Europa League)
  • 2–2 Tottenham
  • 2–0 AZ Alkmaar
  • 2–1 Juventus
  • 2014–15 UEFA Champions League
  • 0–2 Zenit
  • 1–0 Monaco
  • 0–0 Bayer Leverkusen
  • 2015–16 UEFA Champions League
  • 2–0 Astana
  • 2–1 Galatasaray
  • 1–2 Atlético Madrid
  • 1–0 Zenit
  • 2–2 Bayern Munich
  • 2017–18 UEFA Champions League
  • 1–2 CSKA Moscow
  • 0–1 Manchester United
  • 0–2 Basel
  • 2018–19
  • 1–0 Fenerbahçe (UEFA Champions League)
  • 1–1 PAOK
  • 0–2 Bayern Munich
  • 1–1 Ajax
  • 1–0 AEK Athens
  • 0–0 Galatasaray (UEFA Europa League)
  • 3–0 Dinamo Zagreb
  • 4–2 Eintracht Frankfurt
  • 2019–20
  • 1–2 RB Leipzig (UEFA Champions League)
  • 2–1 Lyon
  • 3–0 Zenit
  • 3–3 Shakhtar Donetsk (UEFA Europa League)
  • 2020–21 UEFA Europa League
  • 3–0 Standard Liège
  • 3–3 Rangers
  • 4–0 Lech Poznań
  • 2021–22 UEFA Champions League
  • 2–0 Spartak Moscow
  • 2–1 PSV Eindhoven
  • 3–0 Barcelona
  • 0–4 Bayern Munich
  • 2–0 Dynamo Kyiv
  • 2–2 Ajax
  • 1–3 Liverpool
  • 2022–23 UEFA Champions League
  • 4–1 Midtjylland
  • 3–0 Dynamo Kyiv
  • 1–0 Maccabi Haifa
  • 1–1 Paris Saint-Germain
  • 4–3 Juventus
  • 5–1 Club Brugge
  • 0–2 Inter Milan
  • 2023–24
  • 0–2 Red Bull Salzburg (UEFA Champions League)
  • 0–1 Real Sociedad
  • 2–1 Toulouse (UEFA Europa League)
  • 2–2 Rangers
  • 2–1 Marseille
  • 2024–25
  • 4–0 Atlético Madrid
  • 1–3 Feyenoord
  • 4–5 Barcelona
  • 0–1 Barcelona

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[22]

Concerts

Date Artist/band Concert tour Total audience
1–2 June 2019 Ed Sheeran[23] ÷ Tour 120,716[24]
26 June 2023 Rammstein[25] Rammstein Stadium Tour 50,000[26]
24–25 May 2024 Taylor Swift[27] The Eras Tour 120,000[28]
26 June 2025 Imagine Dragons[29] Loom World Tour 60,000[30]
26–27 May 2026 Bad Bunny Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour
7 July 2026 Iron Maiden Run for Your Lives 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[31]
4 August 2023 World Youth Day The Change 44,000[32]

See also

Notes

  1. The match was played behind closed doors to comply with restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. "Estádio da Luz: a casa nova do Benfica em números". Maisfutebol (in Portuguese).
  2. "Estádio da Luz ainda mais imponente". www.slbenfica.pt (in Portuguese).
  3. "66.387 espetadores no Estádio da Luz: Benfica-Real Madrid bate recorde de assistência". Tribuna (in Portuguese). 17 February 2026.
  4. "Estádio da Luz ainda mais imponente". www.slbenfica.pt (in Portuguese).
  5. Relatório Final - Avaliação do impacte económico do Euro 2004, Universidade do Minho em 30 de Novembro de 2024.
  6. "Estádio da Luz é o mais bonito da Europa" [Estádio da Luz is the most beautiful of Europe]. Record (in Portuguese). 22 October 2014. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014.
  7. "Luz considerado o estádio mais bonito" [Luz considered the most beautiful stadium]. SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). 22 October 2014.
  8. Tavares da Silva, Hugo (22 October 2014). "Estádio da Luz é o mais bonito da Europa" [Estádio da Luz is the most beautiful of Europe]. Observador (in Portuguese).
  9. "Luz recebeu mais de 17 milhões de espectadores em 15 anos" [Da Luz welcomed more than 17 million spectators in 15 years]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 25 October 2018. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018.
  10. Silveira, João Pedro. "Luz: a Catedral" [Luz: the Cathedral]. zerozero (in Portuguese).
  11. Lutz, Tom (20 March 2012). "Benfica's Stadium of Light to host 2014 Champions League final". The Guardian.
  12. "Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Luz)". Sport Lisboa e Benfica - Site Oficial. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017.
  13. Hunter, James (20 April 2017). "The Princess Diana Stadium? Sir Bob Murray reveals request to rename the Stadium of Light". ChronicleLive.
  14. "15 Best Football Stadiums in the World". twelfthman blog. 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019.
  15. "fsd150611.pdf" (PDF). CMVM (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 14 April 2016. pp. 81–82. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2017.
  16. "Arquiteto da Luz admite alargamento para 80 mil lugares" [Da Luz' architect admits enlargement to 80 thousand seats]. Bancada (in Portuguese). 29 October 2020.
  17. Moreira, António Vasconcelos (18 September 2019). "Expansão do Estádio da Luz pode passar pela venda de bilhetes para assistir aos jogos de pé". O Jornal Económico (in European Portuguese).
  18. "Notícia Record: Benfica aumenta lotação da Luz em 950 lugares". www.record.pt (in European Portuguese).
  19. "Full-time report" (PDF). UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 24 May 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2014.
  20. "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals – Barcelona v Bayern Munich" (PDF). UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 14 August 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2020.
  21. 6–5 after penalty shoot-out.
  22. "Voting Analysis | World of New7Wonders". World of New7Wonders. 26 March 2013. Archived from the original on 26 March 2013.
  23. "As imagens do concerto de Ed Sheeran no estádio da Luz" [The pictures of Ed Sheeran's concert at Estádio da Luz]. Renascença (in Portuguese). 2 June 2019.
  24. "Ed Sheeran à beira de bater recorde em Portugal". Jornal Expresso (in European Portuguese). 31 May 2019.
  25. "Rammstein: a Luz com labaredas (as fotos)" [Rammstein: Luz with flames (the photos)]. M80 (in Portuguese). 28 June 2023.
  26. Cardoso, Joana Amaral (26 June 2023). "Rammstein quase esgotam o Estádio da Luz, com cantor suspeito de agressão sexual". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese).
  27. "Taylor Swift The Eras Tour". taylorswift.com.
  28. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de (26 May 2024). "Taylor Swift em Lisboa. Mais de 120 mil pessoas assistiram aos dois concertos". Taylor Swift em Lisboa. Mais de 120 mil pessoas assistiram aos dois concertos (in Portuguese).
  29. "Imagine Dragons no Estádio da Luz em 2025". Blitz (in Portuguese). 9 September 2024.
  30. "Concerto dos Imagine Dragons juntou 60 mil fãs no Estádio da Luz". RTP Notícias (in Portuguese). 27 June 2025.
  31. "Lisbon, Portugal—2019 "Love Never Fails"! International Convention". JW.ORG.
  32. Sanlez, Ana. "De braços no ar "à procura de um milagre". A noite em que 44 mil adeptos de Cristo cantaram para Deus no Estádio da Luz". Observador (in European Portuguese).
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