Tenants: Sporting CP
Opened: 2003
Capacity: 50,095
Address: Rua Professor Fernando da Fonseca, 1501-806 Lisboa, Portugal
Background
The Estádio José Alvalade is the home venue of Sporting Clube de Portugal, one of the most successful clubs in Portuguese football. The stadium was built ahead of the country hosting UEFA Euro 2004, with the need for Sporting’s current stadium to be redeveloped or replaced. The new stadium therefore was built on the site of the old Estádio José Alvalade, a 60,000 capacity stadium that had hosted Sporting CP since 1956. Both stadiums were named after José Alvalade – the founder and first club member of Sporting CP.
The new stadium was opened on the 6th August 2003, with a match between Sporting and Manchester United in which they won 3-1 – also remembered as the match that convinced Sir Alex Ferguson to sign a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
The stadium would host five matches at UEFA Euro 2004 – three group matches, including a 1-0 win for the hosts over Spain, as well as a 2-1 for Czech Republic over Germany that knocked the Germans out of the competition. A shock 1-0 win for eventual winners Greece over reigning champions France followed in the Quarter-finals, with a semi-final 2-1 win for Portugal over the Netherlands also played at the Alvalade.
Portugal have since played several international matches at the stadium since 2004, both friendlies and competitive qualification fixtures.
The 2005 UEFA Cup Final was also played at the Estádio José Alvalade, with Sporting playing on their home venue. Unfortunately the advantage of playing at their home was not enough, losing 2-1 to CSKA Moscow of Russia.
Tickets
Sporting CP – Tickets for Sporting matches are usually available, except for European or matches against Benfica or Porto. Tickets generally range from about €20 to €45, with further information and booking available on the official website.
Portugal international matches – Portuguese international match tickets are available to purchase through the official website. Tickets for a friendly match against Algeria in June 2018, ranged from €15 to €25, however expect to pay more for UEFA competition.
Location & Travel
The Estádio José Alvalade sits at the centre of a complex called Alvalade XXI, which also includes a shopping mall, large cinema, health club and offices. The complex is in the Northern Lisbon municipality of Campo Grande, approximately 7 kilometres from the centre.
Airport – Lisbon Airport, officially known as Humberto Delgado Airport, is the main international airport of Portugal. The Airport is the main hub for Portugal’s flag carrier – TAP Air Portugal, as well as being a hub for low cost carriers Easyjet and Ryanair. As well as low cost flights across Europe, there are direct flights on offer to Asia, North America and South America.
From the airport you can reach downtown Lisbon in 20 minutes or the rail station at Gare do Oriente in 10 minutes by metro on the Aeroporto – Saldanha line. Single fares cost €1.45 (plus €0.50 for an electronic travel card).
Thinking of flying to Lisbon? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.
Bus – The Campo Grande bus station has local services 701 to Sete Rios, 717, 736 to Pombal and Cais do Sodre, 747, the 750 to Gare do Oriente, 767, the 778 to Telheiras and Paco Lumiar, 796 and 798. Campo Grande is also the main station for long-distance buses to destinations north of Lisbon.
Metro – The Lisbon Metro has four lines, with the closest metro station to the stadium being Campo Grande on the yellow and green lines. The station is next to the stadium and takes about 15 minutes to reach from the city centre.
Train – There are two main stations in Lisbon – Santa Apolonia and Oriente. Santa Apolonia is closer to central Lisbon, whilst Oriente is closer to the Airport. There are international trains to Madrid or Hendaye on the French border from Santa Apolonia, as well as intercity trains to the north of Portugal (Coimbra, Aveiro, Porto, Braga and Guimarães), with trains to the south (Faro, Tunes) from Oriente.
From Santa Apolonia you can reach the Estádio José Alvalade by changing to the green line on the metro at Baixa-Chiado, or from Oriente you change to the green line at Alameda.
Thinking of catching a train to Lisbon? Search and book your journey through the Trainline here.
Where to stay in Lisbon
Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Lisbon by clicking here.
Estádio José Alvalade Stadium Tour and Sporting Museum
Stadium tours of Estádio José Alvalade run at 11:30am, 2:30pm, 3:30pm and 4:30pm from Tuesday and Sunday, with the tour also including entrance to the Sporting Museum which outlines the history of the club.
The tour and entry to the museum costs €14 for Adults, €7 for Children (7-13 years), €7 for Seniors (65 years+) and €30 for a Family (2 Adults & 3 Children).
Further information is available on the official website.
Further Information & Events
Last Updated on February 24, 2021 by Sports Tourist