Estádio da Luz

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; 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". 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").

Characteristics

Architect Damon Lavelle, 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 to 80,000. However, the most realistic option is to expand by selling standing places, which would require a change in the law.

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.

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

Sports events

Opening game

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

2014 UEFA Champions League final

Main article: 2014 UEFA Champions League final

Bale Marcelo Ronaldo

Highest attendance official match

Jiménez Pizzi Jonas 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.

2019–20 UEFA Champions League

Quarter-finals Main article: FC Barcelona 2–8 FC Bayern Munich

• Alaba
• Suárez
• Müller
• Perišić
• Gnabry
• Kimmich
• Lewandowski
• Coutinho

Final Main article: 2020 UEFA Champions League Final

Portugal national team matches

Euro 2004 matches

Benfica matches in UEFA competitions

• 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 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

• 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

• 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

• All-time statistics :117 matches: 71 wins, 21 draws, 25 losses :201 goals scored, 108 goals conceded

Other events

Ceremonies

Concerts

Religious meetings

Notes

References

References

1. "Estádio da Luz: a casa nova do Benfica em números".
2. "Estádio da Luz ainda mais imponente".
3. "Estádio da Luz: a casa nova do Benfica em números".
4. [https://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/2761/1/19%20Final%20Report%20EURO%202004.pdf Relatório Final - Avaliação do impacte económico do Euro 2004], Universidade do Minho em 30 de Novembro de 2024.
5. (22 October 2014). "Estádio da Luz é o mais bonito da Europa". Record.
6. (22 October 2014). "Luz considerado o estádio mais bonito".
7. Tavares da Silva, Hugo. (22 October 2014). "Estádio da Luz é o mais bonito da Europa".
8. (25 October 2018). "Luz recebeu mais de 17 milhões de espectadores em 15 anos". A Bola.
9. Silveira, João Pedro. "Luz: a Catedral".
10. Lutz, Tom. (20 March 2012). "Benfica's Stadium of Light to host 2014 Champions League final". The Guardian.
11. "Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Luz)".
12. Hunter, James. (20 April 2017). "The Princess Diana Stadium? Sir Bob Murray reveals request to rename the Stadium of Light". ChronicleLive.
13. (2019-12-10). "15 Best Football Stadiums in the World".
14. (14 April 2016). "fsd150611.pdf". S.L. Benfica.
15. (29 October 2020). "Arquiteto da Luz admite alargamento para 80 mil lugares". Bancada.
16. Moreira, António Vasconcelos. (2019-09-18). "Expansão do Estádio da Luz pode passar pela venda de bilhetes para assistir aos jogos de pé".
17. "Notícia Record: Benfica aumenta lotação da Luz em 950 lugares".
18. "Estádio da Luz ainda mais imponente".
19. (24 May 2014). "Full-time report". Union of European Football Associations.
20. (13 May 2017). "History has been made".
21. (14 August 2020). "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals – Barcelona v Bayern Munich". Union of European Football Associations.
22. 6–5 after penalty shoot-out.
23. (2013-03-26). "Voting Analysis {{!}} World of New7Wonders". World of New7Wonders.
24. (2 June 2019). "As imagens do concerto de Ed Sheeran no estádio da Luz". Renascença.
25. (31 May 2019). "Ed Sheeran à beira de bater recorde em Portugal".
26. (28 June 2023). "Rammstein: a Luz com labaredas (as fotos)". M80.
27. Cardoso, Joana Amaral. (2023-06-26). "Rammstein quase esgotam o Estádio da Luz, com cantor suspeito de agressão sexual".
28. "Taylor Swift The Eras Tour". taylorswift.com.
29. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de. (2024-05-26). "Taylor Swift em Lisboa. Mais de 120 mil pessoas assistiram aos dois concertos".
30. (9 September 2024). "Imagine Dragons no Estádio da Luz em 2025".
31. (27 June 2025). "Concerto dos Imagine Dragons juntou 60 mil fãs no Estádio da Luz".
32. "Lisbon, Portugal—2019 "Love Never Fails"! International Convention".
33. 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".