Description
Estadio Da Luz is a modern football stadium in Lisbon (Portugal), which is the home arena of the famous Benfica football club. The name of the stadium, Estádio da Luz, translates from Portuguese as "Stadium of Light". Fans nicknamed him "Lush" and "Cathedral". The stadium was officially opened on October 25, 2003 with a match between Benfica and Uruguayan Nacional.
The stadium has a maximum rating of 4 stars by UEFA and is one of the 25 largest football arenas in Europe. This arena hosted the matches of the 2004 European Football Championship, including the final meeting between the national teams of Portugal and Greece. Also in 2020, quarterfinals, semifinals and the final of the Champions League were held here.
Previously, on the site of the "Stadium of Light" there was an old stadium with a capacity of 78,000 to 120,000 spectators, which was completely demolished in 2002. The new modern structure can accommodate 65,400 people.
The architectural design of the Estadio Da Luz stadium was developed by the American architectural bureau Populous, which specializes in the design of sports facilities and conference centers, as well as the planning of large sporting events. They also worked on the development of the concept of hinged structures of the stadium roof. Thanks to advanced construction solutions, the Estadio Da Luz stadium uses the maximum amount of natural light during matches.