The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is the home of Real Madrid, one of the most famous football clubs in the world. With a capacity of 81,044, it is the second largest stadium in Spain and sixth largest in Europe.
The stadium opened in 1947 after club President Santiago Bernabéu decided the club’s former home of Estadio Chamartín was too small. The first match took place on the 14th December 1947 with a match between Real Madrid and the Portuguese side Os Belenenses, with the home side winning 3-1. It was initially known as Nuevo Estadio Chamartin but adopted its current name in 1955.
Original capacity was 75,000 but this was extended to 125,000 in the mid-1950s. The stadium held three matches at the 1964 European Nations’ Cup – one qualifying match, a semi-final and the Final in which hosts Spain defeated the Soviet Union 2-1.
After the club initially considered relocating, the stadium was renovated ahead of the 1982 FIFA World Cup which reduced capacity to just over 90,000. Three second round matches were played in the stadium as well as the Final, with Italy defeating West Germany 3-1. It therefore became the first venue to host both a UEFA Euro final and a FIFA World Cup final.
Further renovations took place across the 1990s and 2000s in which capacity reached its current level of just over 81,000.
The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium has hosted the European Cup/UEFA Champions League Final four times – 1957 (Real Madrid 2-0 Fiorentina), 1969 (Milan 4-1 Ajax), 1980 (Nottingham Forest 1-0 Hamburger SV) and 2010 (Inter Milan 2-0 Bayern Munich). The second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores Final was also played in the stadium, becoming the first in Europe to host the event.
Tenants: Real Madrid (La Liga)
Opened: 1947
Capacity: 81,044
Address: Av. de Concha Espina, 1, 28036 Madrid, Spain
Tickets at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Real Madrid tickets are usually readily available, except for the most high-profile matches such as El Clásico or Champions League fixtures. Tickets are available to purchase online through the official Real Madrid ticket page here or the ticket windows at the stadium.
Location & Travel to Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is located in district of Chamartín, approximately 4 kilometres south of Madrid in central Spain.
Airport – Madrid–Barajas Airport is the second largest Airport in Europe and serves many destinations across the world. The airport is 12 kilometres east of the stadium, you can use Metro Line 8 to travel to Nuevos Ministerios from which it is either a 10 minute walk to the stadium or connect to Line 10 (see below).
Thinking of going to Madrid? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.
Bus – There are a number of bus services that stop close to the stadium – 14, 27, 40, 43, 120, 126, 147 and 150.
Metro – The metro is the most convenient method of public transportation to get to the stadium. The ‘Santiago Bernabéu’ (line 10) is located directly next to the stadium, with a journey time of about 10 minutes from central Madrid. Alternatively, ‘Colombia’ (line 8 & 9) or ‘Estrecho’ (line 1) stations are both within a 15 minute walk of the stadium.
Train – There are two main stations in Madrid – Madrid-Atocha, the bigger of the two which has high speed trains all over the country (Seville, Malaga, Valencia, Barcelona) and Madrid-Chamartín, serving the north of the country and for trains to Portugal.
From Atocha, you can use Lines C2, C3, C4 or C10 of the Madrid commuter service to travel to Nuevos Ministerios station, just a 10 minute walk away. From Chamartín, use Line 10 of the Metro to travel directly to the stadium.
Thinking of catching a train to Madrid? Search and book your journey through the Trainline here.
Where to stay in Madrid
Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Madrid by clicking here.
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Tour
Real Madrid offer self-guided tours of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium which take place Monday to Saturday (9:30am – 7pm) and Sundays and holidays (10am – 6:30pm). The tour costs €25 for Adults.
Further information and booking is available on the official website here.
Further Information & Events
Last Updated on March 12, 2021 by Sports Tourist