Stade Vélodrome facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stade Vélodrome

UEFA
Full name	Stade Vélodrome
Address	3 Boulevard Michelet
Location	13008 Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
Public transit	Rond-Point du Prado Michelet Huveaune
Owner	City of Marseille
Operator	Olympique de Marseille
Executive suites	73
Capacity	67,394
Record attendance	Football: 65,894 (Olympique de Marseille vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 26 February 2023) Rugby: 66,760 (Toulouse vs. Bordeaux Bègles, 28 June 2024) Concert: 73,158 (Jul, 24 May 2025)
Field size	105 × 68 metres (344 ft × 223 ft)
Surface	AirFibr hybrid grass
Construction
Broke ground	April 28, 1935; 90 years ago (1935-04-28)
Built	1935–1937
Opened	June 13, 1937; 88 years ago (1937-06-13)
Renovated	1984, 1998, 2014
Architect	Henri Ploquin (original) SCAU (current)
General contractor	AREMA
Tenants
Olympique de Marseille (1937–present) FC Martigues (temporarily) RC Toulon (occasional matches) France national football team (selected matches) France national rugby union team (selected matches)

The Stade Vélodrome is a famous sports stadium in Marseille, France. Since June 2016, it's also known as the Orange Vélodrome because of a sponsorship deal. This stadium is the home ground for the Olympique de Marseille football club, which plays in Ligue 1. It has been their home since it first opened in 1937.

The Vélodrome has hosted many big international sports events. These include the 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. It also hosted the 1960, 1984, and 2016 UEFA European Championships. Rugby fans know it from the 2007 and 2023 Rugby World Cup. Most recently, it hosted football matches for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Sometimes, the RC Toulon rugby club plays matches here. The Stade Vélodrome is the second largest stadium in France. It can hold 67,394 spectators. Only the Stade de France in Saint-Denis is bigger. The France national rugby union team also uses this stadium for some of its games.

Before its big renovation in 2014, the record attendance for a club football game was 58,897. This was for a UEFA Cup semi-final match in 2004. After the stadium was made larger, the new record for a football match became 65,894. This happened on February 26, 2023, when Olympique de Marseille played against their rivals, Paris Saint-Germain. The very first match ever played at the stadium was between Marseille and Torino in 1937.

The French rugby union team had a great winning streak at the stadium in the early 2000s. They beat New Zealand in 2000 and Australia in 2001. They also won against South Africa in 2002 and England in 2003. However, their winning run ended in 2004 when they lost to Argentina. In 2018, the stadium hosted its first Six Nations match, with France playing against Italy.

Other rugby teams have also used the Vélodrome. For example, Toulon played a home game against Toulouse here in 2009. Over 57,000 fans watched Toulon win. The Vélodrome also hosted the semi-finals of the 2010–11 Top 14 season. In 2022, the stadium hosted the 2022 European Rugby Champions Cup Final. The 2024 Top 14 Final was also held here because the Stade de France was busy with the 2024 Summer Olympics.

In 2017, a stage of the 2017 Tour de France cycling race started and finished inside the stadium. This was an individual time trial through the streets of Marseille.

Stadium History

The Vélodrome in 1937, when it first opened.

The idea for a new stadium in Marseille started in 1935. Henri Ploquin was the architect who designed it. On April 28, 1935, the first stone was laid by Marseille's mayor. The Stade Vélodrome officially opened on June 13, 1937. The first friendly football match was between Olympique Marseille (OM) and Torino FC from Italy. OM won 2–1. The first official league match was on August 29, 1937, between OM and Cannes.

The entrance to the Stade Vélodrome, which was part of the original design from 1937.

As its name suggests, "Vélodrome" means it used to have a cycling track. This track went around the stadium. Over time, cycling races became less popular. So, the track was removed, and more seats were added for fans. The sloped area where the track used to be became a fun way for fans to slide onto the pitch after matches.

For a long time, Olympique de Marseille didn't really see the Stade Vélodrome as their true home. They preferred their old stadium, Stade de l'Huveaune. But after World War II, OM no longer owned the Huveaune stadium. So, they moved to the Vélodrome. In the 1970s, OM even shared the stadium with the Marseille XIII Rugby League team.

First Stadium Upgrades

The Vélodrome had its first major changes in 1970. New, taller floodlights were installed for night games. In 1971, the stadium's capacity grew by almost 6,000 seats. This happened when the cycling track was made smaller and a running track was removed. The stadium could then hold 55,000 people, including standing areas.

Olympique de Marseille played at their old Stade de l'Huveaune again for the 1982–1983 season. This was because the Vélodrome was being updated for the UEFA Euro 1984 tournament. The entire playing field was replaced. A semi-final match between France and Portugal set a new attendance record with 54,848 spectators. Later, the stadium's capacity was reduced to 42,000 when special viewing boxes were built.

The cycling track was completely removed in 1985. This was when Bernard Tapie became the president of OM. He wanted to change the stadium's corners and increase seating to 48,000. This renovation meant the Vélodrome was now mainly for football. The area around the stadium also improved. A new metro line with two stations made it easier to get to the stadium. The Palais des Sports was also built nearby.

1998 World Cup and Beyond

The Stade Vélodrome was fully renovated for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Its seating capacity increased from 42,000 to 60,031 seats. The Vélodrome hosted the final draw for the World Cup in 1997. It also hosted seven matches, including France's first game. Two important matches, a quarter-final and a semi-final, were also played here. The record attendance for a football game at that time was 58,897. This was for a UEFA Cup semi-final in 2004.

In 2007, the Vélodrome hosted six games for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. This included two quarter-final matches. The game between Australia and England set an overall attendance record with 59,102 spectators.

For many years, some people in Marseille didn't like the stadium's design. It didn't have a roof, so it was exposed to strong winds. Since 2003, there have been plans to modernize and enlarge it. In 2010, France won the bid to host UEFA Euro 2016. Marseille announced that the stadium would get another big renovation. This included adding a roof and increasing the capacity from 60,031 to 67,000 seats. These changes made it a UEFA Elite Stadium. The work started in 2011 and finished in 2014.

Fan Attendance

Since 2000, Olympique de Marseille's average attendance for each season in Ligue 1 (formerly Division 1) is shown below:

Major Tournament Matches

1938 FIFA World Cup Games

The Stade Vélodrome hosted two matches during the 1938 FIFA World Cup.

Date	Time (WEST)	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
5 June 1938	17:00	Italy	2–1 (aet)	Norway	Round of 16	18,000
16 June 1938	18:00	Italy	2–1	Brazil	Semi-finals	30,000

1960 European Nations' Cup Games

Two matches of the 1960 European Nations' Cup were played at the Vélodrome.

Date	Time (CET)	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
6 July 1960	21:30	Czechoslovakia	0–3	Soviet Union	Semi-finals	25,184
9 July 1960	18:00	Czechoslovakia	2–0	France	Third place play-off	9,438

UEFA Euro 1984 Games

The stadium hosted two games during UEFA Euro 1984.

Date	Time (CEST)	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
17 June 1984	20:30	Portugal	1–1	Spain	Group 2	24,364
23 June 1984	20:00	France	3–2 (aet)	Portugal	Semi-finals	54,848

1998 FIFA World Cup Games

Seven matches of the 1998 FIFA World Cup took place at the Vélodrome.

Date	Time (CEST)	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
12 June 1998	21:00	France	3–0	South Africa	Group C	55,077
15 June 1998	14:30	England	2–0	Tunisia	Group G	54,587
20 June 1998	21:00	Netherlands	5–0	South Korea	Group E	55,000
23 June 1998	21:00	Brazil	1–2	Norway	Group A	55,000
27 June 1998	16:00	Italy	1–0	Norway	Round of 16	55,000
4 July 1998	16:00	Netherlands	2–1	Argentina	Quarter-finals	55,000
7 July 1998	21:00	Brazil	1–1 (aet) (4–2 p)	Netherlands	Semi-finals	55,000

2007 Rugby World Cup Games

The Vélodrome hosted six games for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, including two quarter-finals.

Date	Competition	Home team		Away team		Attendance
8 September 2007	2007 Rugby World Cup Pool C	New Zealand	76	Italy	14	58,612
12 September 2007		Italy	24	Romania	18	44,241
22 September 2007	2007 Rugby World Cup Pool D	Argentina	63	Namibia	3	55,067
30 September 2007		France	64	Georgia	7	58,695
6 October 2007	2007 Rugby World Cup Quarter-finals	Australia	10	England	12	59,102
7 October 2007		South Africa	37	Fiji	20	55,943

UEFA Euro 2016 Games

Six games of UEFA Euro 2016 were held at the Vélodrome, including a semi-final.

Date	Time (CEST)	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
11 June 2016	21:00	England	1–1	Russia	Group B	62,343
15 June 2016	21:00	France	2–0	Albania	Group A	63,670
18 June 2016	18:00	Iceland	1–1	Hungary	Group F	60,842
21 June 2016	21:00	Ukraine	0–1	Poland	Group C	58,874
30 June 2016	21:00	Poland	1–1 (aet) (3–5 p)	Portugal	Quarter-finals	62,940
7 July 2016	21:00	Germany	0–2	France	Semi-finals	64,078

2023 Rugby World Cup Games

The Vélodrome hosted six matches during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, including two quarter-finals.

Date	Time (CEST)	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
9 September 2023	21:00	England	27–10	Argentina	Pool D	63,118
10 September 2023	17:45	South Africa	18–3	Scotland	Pool B	63,586
21 September 2023	21:00	France	96–0	Namibia	Pool A	63,486
1 October 2023	21:00	South Africa	49–18	Tonga	Pool B	60,000
14 October 2023	17:00	Wales	17–29	Argentina	Quarter-finals	62,576
15 October 2023	17:00	England	30–24	Fiji		61,863

2024 Summer Olympics Football Matches

The Stade Vélodrome was a venue for football matches during the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Date	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
24 July 2024	France	3–0	United States	Men's group A	48,721
25 July 2024	Germany	3–0	Australia	Women's group B	9,731
27 July 2024	New Zealand	1–4	United States	Men's group A	9,468
28 July 2024	United States	4–1	Germany	Women's group B	12,845
30 July 2024	New Zealand	0–3	France	Men's group A	45,790
31 July 2024	Australia	1–2	United States	Women's group B	13,036
2 August 2024	Egypt	1–1 (aet) (5–4 p)	Paraguay	Men's quarter-finals	23,753
3 August 2024	Canada	0–0 (aet) (2–4 p)	Germany	Women's quarter-finals	12,517
5 August 2024	Morocco	1–2	Spain	Men's semi-finals	59,882
6 August 2024	Brazil	4–2	Spain	Women's semi-finals	14,201

Stadium Layout

The Stade Vélodrome has four main stands, each named after important people.

These stands are named after athletes like Jean Bouin and Gustave Ganay. One stand is named after Chevalier Roze, a historical figure. Another is named after Patrice De Peretti, a popular Olympique de Marseille fan.

Rugby League Matches

Besides the Rugby League World Cup games in 1954, 1972, and 1975, many other rugby league test matches were played here. The France national rugby league team played in 16 international games at Stade Vélodrome. In the past, rugby league was very popular in Marseille. Many games between 1948 and 1951 had full stadiums with about 32,000 fans.

Rugby League World Cup Games

The Vélodrome hosted games in three different Rugby League World Cup tournaments.

Date	Competition	Home team		Away team		Attendance
7 November 1954	1954 Rugby League World Cup group stage	Australia	34	New Zealand	15	20,000
28 October 1972	1972 Rugby League World Cup group stage	France	20	New Zealand	9	20,748
17 October 1975	1975 Rugby League World Cup group stage	France	12	New Zealand	12	10,000

Rugby League Test Matches

Here is a list of rugby league test matches played at Stade Vélodrome.

Test#	Date	Result	Attendance	Notes
1	16 January 1938	Australia def.  France 16–11	23,100	1938 France vs Australia series
2	18 January 1947	France def.  Wales 14–5	24,500	1946–47 European Rugby League Championship
3	11 April 1948	England def.  France 25–10	32,000	1947–48 European Rugby League Championship
4	9 January 1949	Australia def.  France 29–10	15,796	1949 France vs Australia series
5	10 April 1949	France def.  Wales 11–0	30,000	1948–49 European Rugby League Championship
6	15 January 1950	France def. Other Nationalities 8–3	30,000	1949–50 European Rugby League Championship
7	15 April 1950	France def.  Wales 28–13	16,860	1950–51 European Rugby League Championship
8	25 November 1951	France def.  England 42–13	31,810	1951–52 European Rugby League Championship
9	23 November 1952	France def. Other Nationalities 29–10	17,611	1949–50 European Rugby League Championship
10	13 December 1953	France def.  Wales 23–22	25,000	1953–54 European Rugby League Championship
11	15 November 1965	France def.  New Zealand 14–3	30,431	1965 France vs New Zealand series
12	17 December 1967	France drew with  Australia 7–7	5,193	1967–68 France vs Australia series
13	20 December 1981	France def.  Great Britain 19–2	6,500
14	24 November 1985	New Zealand def.  France 22–0	1,492	1985 France vs New Zealand series

Getting to the Stadium

The stadium is about four kilometers from the Old Port of Marseille. It is located in the southern part of Marseille. The Huveaune river is to its south. To the north are Parc Chanot and the local TV station. Boulevard Michelet runs to its west. The Marseille Palais des Sports and Delort stadium are to its east.

It's easy to get to the Vélodrome using Marseille's public transport. Buses and the metro serve the area. Two stations on Marseille Metro line 2 are close to the stadium. If you're going to the Ganay or North stands, get off at Sainte-Marguerite Dromel station. For the South stand and Jean-Bouin stand, use the Rond-Point du Prado station. On match days, extra trains run on this line, which also connects to the Marseille Saint-Charles train station.

Marseille Provence Airport is about thirty kilometers away from the Vélodrome.

Recent Upgrades

The Stade Vélodrome was upgraded in 2014. This was in preparation for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France. The stadium's seating capacity increased from 60,031 to 67,000. This includes 7,000 special VIP seats. The total cost for this project was €267 million. The goal was to make the stadium modern and larger, meeting UEFA standards. The new stadium was officially opened on October 16, 2014.

Construction Details

The main improvements included adding a roof over the entire stadium. This was a requirement from UEFA. The project also added more areas for guests and media. It improved access for people with disabilities and provided better seating.

Surrounding Area Changes

The area around the Ganay stand was kept and improved. A car park was replaced with new office buildings and homes. People using public transport now have a larger underground car park. New trees and wind turbines were added to make the neighborhood more environmentally friendly.

Project Costs

The total cost for the project was estimated at €267 million. About €150 million was for the stadium itself. The rest was for a nearby shopping mall, a hotel, and housing. Most of the money came from private companies. The rest was shared by the region, the local department, and the city of Marseille. The French government also helped pay for infrastructure upgrades in the area.

Olympique de Marseille's Role

Jean-Claude Gaudin, the mayor of Marseille, said that Olympique de Marseille would be closely involved in the project. The club continues to rent the stadium for its games. City officials want to make sure ticket prices remain fair for fans.

Stadium Naming Rights

The French company Orange bought the rights to name the stadium. This 10-year deal was announced on June 3, 2016. It means the stadium is now officially called the Orange Vélodrome. The deal is reportedly worth €2.7 million each year.

During the 2024 Olympics, the stadium was called Marseille Stadium. This was because the International Olympic Committee does not allow venues to use corporate names during the Olympic Games.

Concerts and Events

SCH performing at the Orange Vélodrome in 2023.

The Stade Vélodrome is not just for sports; it also hosts many big concerts. Famous artists from around the world have performed here.

Images for kids

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  Main entrance facing the Boulevard Michelet

• 

  Inside the stadium

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  Fans demonstration before a match against Paris Saint-Germain

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  Aerial view of the stadium

See also

In Spanish: Stade Vélodrome para niños

• List of football stadiums in France
• List of European stadiums by capacity
• List of association football stadiums by capacity
• Lists of stadiums