Estádio da Luz

The Estádio da Luz (Portuguese pronunciation: [(ɨ)ˈʃtaðju 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 S.L. Benfica, its owner.

This article is about the current home ground of S.L. Benfica. For the previous one, see Estádio da Luz (1954). For the home ground of Sunderland A.F.C., see Stadium of Light.

Estádio da Luz
A Catedral
O Inferno da Luz
UEFA
Full nameEstádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica
AddressAv. Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, 1500-313
LocationLisbon, Portugal
Coordinates
Public transit  Azul  at Alto dos Moinhos
 Azul  at Colégio Militar/Luz
OwnerS.L. Benfica
OperatorS.L. Benfica
Executive suites156
Capacity64,642
Record attendanceOfficial match: 64,591[1]
(13 May 2017)
All-time: 65,400
(25 October 2003)
Field size105 x 68 m
SurfaceGrass
ScoreboardYes
Construction
Broke ground2003
Opened25 October 2003
Construction cost€162 million[2]
ArchitectHOK Sport (now Populous)
Tenants
S.L. Benfica (2003–present)
S.L. Benfica B (2003–2006, 2012–2013)
S.L. Benfica women's (2018–present)
Portugal national football team (selected matches)
Website
slbenfica.pt

Opened on 25 October 2003 with an exhibition match between Benfica and Uruguayan club Nacional, it replaced the original Estádio da Luz, which had 120,000 seats. The seating capacity was decreased to 65,647[3][4] and is currently set at 64,642.[5] The stadium was designed by HOK Sport Venue Event and had a construction cost of €162 million.[2]

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]

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] Like its predecessor, the current stadium is also referred to as a Catedral (the Cathedral) or as o Inferno da Luz.[14]

Characteristics

Architect Damon Lavelle,[15] 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.

A panorama of the Estádio da Luz on 30 July 2009

Notable matches

Opening game
Benfica 2–1 Nacional
Nuno Gomes 7', 47' Report Mello 11'
Attendance: 65,400
Referee: 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
Main article: UEFA Euro 2004 Final
Portugal 0–1 Greece
Report Charisteas 57'
Attendance: 62,865
Referee: Markus Merk (Germany)

2014 UEFA Champions League Final
Main article: 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[16]
Referee: Björn Kuipers (Netherlands)

Highest attendance official match
Benfica 5–0 Vitória de Guimarães
Cervi 11'
Jiménez 16'
Pizzi 37'
Jonas 43', 67' (pen.)		 Report
Attendance: 64,591
Referee: Jorge Sousa (Porto)

On round 33 of the 2016–17 Primeira Liga, in a match where Benfica were crowned national champions for a fourth consecutive season (a new achievement for them), Estádio da Luz recorded its best attendance in official matches.[1]

2019–20 UEFA Champions League

Quarter-finals

Barcelona 2–8 Bayern Munich
 Report
Attendance: 0[17][lower-alpha 1]
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

Final

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

Portugal national football team matches
Entrance of the stadium during UEFA Euro 2004

The following national team matches were held in the stadium.

#DateScoreOpponentCompetition
116 June 20042–0 RussiaEuro 2004 Group Stage
224 June 20042–2[18] EnglandEuro 2004 Quarter-Finals
34 July 20040–1 GreeceEuro 2004 Final
44 June 20052–0 Slovakia2006 World Cup qualification
58 September 20072–2 PolandEuro 2008 qualifying
610 October 20093–0 Hungary2010 World Cup qualification
714 November 20091–0 Bosnia and Herzegovina2010 World Cup UEFA play-offs
817 November 20104–0 SpainFriendly
94 June 20111–0 NorwayEuro 2012 qualifying
1015 November 20116–2 Bosnia and HerzegovinaEuro 2012 qualifying play-offs
112 June 20121–3 TurkeyFriendly
127 June 20131–0 Russia2014 World Cup qualification
1315 November 20131–0 Sweden2014 World Cup UEFA play-offs
1429 March 20152–1 SerbiaEuro 2016 qualifying
158 June 20167–0 EstoniaFriendly
1625 March 20173–0 Hungary2018 World Cup qualification
1710 October 20172–0 Switzerland
187 June 20183–0 AlgeriaFriendly
1910 September 20181–0 Italy2018–19 UEFA Nations League
2022 March 20190–0 UkraineEuro 2020 qualifying
2125 March 20191–1 Serbia
2211 November 20207–0 AndorraFriendly
2314 November 20200–1 France2020–21 UEFA Nations League
2414 November 20211–2 Serbia2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Euro 2004 matches
DateTeam #1ResultTeam #2Round
13 June 2004 France2–1 EnglandGroup B
16 June 2004 Russia0–2 PortugalGroup A
21 June 2004 Croatia2–4 EnglandGroup B
24 June 2004 Portugal2–2 (6–5 on pen.)Quarter-finals
4 July 20040–1 GreeceFinal

Benfica matches in UEFA competitions
As of match played 25 October 2022
  • 2003–04 UEFA Cup
  • 3–1 Molde
  • 1–0 Rosenborg
  • 0–0 Inter Milan
  • 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
  • 2005–06 UEFA Champions League
  • 1–0 Lille
  • 0–1 Villarreal
  • 2–1 Manchester United
  • 1–0 Liverpool
  • 0–0 Barcelona
  • 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
  • 2008–09 UEFA Cup
  • 2–0 Napoli
  • 0–2 Galatasaray
  • 0–1 Metalist Kharkiv
  • 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 Olympiakos
  • 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
  • 2016–17 UEFA Champions League
  • 1–1 Beşiktaş
  • 1–0 Dynamo Kyiv
  • 1–2 Napoli
  • 1–0 Borussia Dortmund
  • 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
  • All-time statistics
106 matches: 67 wins, 20 draws, 19 losses
182 goals scored, 89 goals conceded

See also
  • List of football stadiums in Portugal

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

References
  1. "History has been made". S.L. Benfica. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  2. "Vender jogadores para gerar receitas" [Selling players to generate revenue]. Record (in Portuguese). 29 April 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  3. "Stadiums in Portugal". World Stadiums. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  4. "Estadio da Luz". World Stadium Database. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  5. "fsd150611.pdf" (PDF). CMVM (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 14 April 2016. pp. 81–82. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  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. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  7. "Luz considerado o estádio mais bonito" [Luz considered the most beautiful stadium]. SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). 22 October 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  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). Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  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. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  10. Silveira, João Pedro. "Luz: a Catedral" [Luz: the Cathedral]. zerozero (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  11. Lutz, Tom (20 March 2012). "Benfica's Stadium of Light to host 2014 Champions League final". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  12. "Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Luz)". Sport Lisboa e Benfica - Site Oficial. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  13. Hunter, James (20 April 2017). "The Princess Diana Stadium? Sir Bob Murray reveals request to rename the Stadium of Light". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  14. "Benfica junta a festa de Carnaval ao inferno da Luz" [Benfica join Carnival celebrations to the inferno da Luz]. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  15. "15 Best Football Stadiums in the World". twelfthman blog. 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  16. "Full-time report" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  17. "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals – Barcelona v Bayern Munich" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  18. 6–5 after penalty shoot-out.
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