Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
Construction
UEFA
Location	Av. de Concha Espina 1, 28036 Madrid, Spain
Coordinates	40°27′11″N 3°41′18″W / 40.45306°N 3.68835°W / 40.45306; -3.68835 (The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium)
Owner	Real Madrid C.F.
Operator	Real Madrid
Executive suites	245
Capacity	81,044
Field size	105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft)
Surface	Mixto Hybrid Grass Technology
Opened	14 December 1947 (1947-12-14)
Renovated	1982, 2001
Expanded	1953, 1992, 1994, 2011
Construction cost	288,342,653 Ptas (€1,732,943)
Architect	Manuel Muñoz Monasterio Luis Alemany Soler Antonio Lamela (Expansion)
Tenants
Real Madrid

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is a famous football stadium located in Madrid, Spain. It is the home ground for Real Madrid, one of the biggest football clubs in the world. The stadium was finished in 1947 and can hold 81,044 fans. It is the second-largest stadium in Spain and the biggest in Madrid.

Many important football matches have been played here. The Santiago Bernabéu has hosted the final match of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League four times (in 1957, 1969, 1980, and 2010). It also hosted the finals for the 1964 European Nations' Cup and the 1982 FIFA World Cup. This makes it the first stadium in Europe to host both a UEFA Euro final and a FIFA World Cup final.

History of the Stadium
Images for kids
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History of the Stadium

How the Bernabéu Was Built

Before the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid played at other stadiums. First, they played at Campo De O’Donnell. Then, in 1924, the team moved to a bigger stadium called Campo de Chamartín.

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium was built in the same place where Campo de Chamartín used to be. Construction started in 1945. The stadium officially opened on December 14, 1947. The very first match played there was against a Portuguese team called C.F. Os Belenenses, which Real Madrid won 3-1.

When it first opened, the stadium was called Nuevo Estadio Chamartin. Eight years later, it was renamed after the club's president, Santiago Bernabéu.

Early Capacity and Changes

In its early days, the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu had two open levels for fans. It could hold just over 75,000 spectators. In 1954, the stadium became even bigger. One side was expanded with a third level, increasing the capacity to 125,000 people.

The Bernabéu was one of the stadiums used for the UEFA Euro 1964 Championships. It hosted one of the semi-final matches and the final game between Spain and the Soviet Union, which Spain won 2-1.

Renovations for the World Cup

By the late 1970s, the stadium was getting old. Club officials thought about building a brand new stadium in a different part of the city.

However, because the 1982 FIFA World Cup was coming, they decided to renovate the Bernabéu instead. This renovation added a roof over three of the two-level stands. Seats were also installed in half of the stadium. Because of these changes, the capacity was reduced to 90,800 seats. During the 1982 World Cup, the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu hosted three matches. It also hosted the final between Italy and West Germany, which Italy won 3-1.

Modern Upgrades and Future Plans

In the 1990s, UEFA, the European football organization, required stadiums to have seats for everyone. This would have reduced the Bernabéu's capacity to 50,000 seats. To avoid this, club president Ramón Mendoza started a big renovation project.

These changes included:

Extending the third level all around the stadium.
Creating special areas for businesses and VIPs.
Building four tall access towers in each corner of the stadium.

Work began in 1992 and was finished two years later.

The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu was updated even more between 2001 and 2006. Most of this work focused on improving the corporate facilities. The renovations finished in 2006 with the construction of a roof over the last uncovered stand.

More improvements, like a retractable roof, were planned but were delayed due to money reasons. In 2013, club president Florentino Pérez announced that Real Madrid was looking to sell the naming rights for its stadium. This means a company could pay to have their name added to the stadium's name.

A large renovation project costing €525 million was supposed to start in summer 2017 but was delayed until 2019. The stadium's capacity will stay at 81,000 seats, but its height will increase by ten meters, and a new roof will be added. The club still plans to sell the naming rights for the newly renovated stadium. This work is expected to take about three and a half years, from 2019 to 2023.