Stade Vélodrome facts for kids
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| Full name | Stade Vélodrome |
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| Location | 3, Boulevard Michelet 13008 Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France |
| Coordinates | 43°16′11″N 5°23′45″E / 43.26972°N 5.39583°E |
| Public transit |  Rond-point du Prado – Sainte-Marguerite - Dromel |
| Owner | City of Marseille |
| Operator | Olympique de Marseille |
| Capacity | 67,394 |
| Record attendance | 65,421 (Olympique de Marseille vs Olympique Lyonnais, 10 November 2019) |
| Surface | AirFibr hybrid grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1937 |
| Opened | 13 June 1937 |
| Renovated | 1984, 1998, 2014 |
| Architect | Henri Ploquin |
| Tenants | |
| Olympique de Marseille (1937–present) RC Toulon (occasional matches) France national football team (some matches) France national rugby union team (some matches) |
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The Stade Vélodrome, also called the Orange Vélodrome for sponsorship reasons, is a large sports stadium in Marseille, France. It is the home stadium for the Olympique de Marseille football club. This team plays in Ligue 1, which is France's top football league. The stadium first opened its doors in 1937.
The Stade Vélodrome has hosted many important sports events. These include matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and the UEFA Euro 2016. Sometimes, the RC Toulon rugby club also plays its home games here. With space for 67,394 fans, it is the biggest club football stadium in France. The France national rugby union team also uses this stadium often.
Contents
History of the Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome has a long and interesting history. The very first match played here was in 1937. It was a game between Marseille and Torino. The stadium was also used for the 1938 FIFA World Cup finals, which were held in France.
Record Attendance at the Stadium
Before its big renovation, the most people ever to watch a club game at the Stade Vélodrome was 58,897. This happened during a UEFA Cup semi-final match against Newcastle United in 2004. After the stadium was made bigger, its capacity grew to 67,394 seats. The new record for attendance is 65,421 fans. This record was set on November 10, 2019, during a game between Olympique de Marseille and their rivals, Lyon.
Rugby Matches at the Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is not just for football; it's also a popular place for rugby. The French rugby union team has played many exciting matches here.
France's Rugby Successes
In the early 2000s, the French rugby team had a great winning streak at the stadium.
- In November 2000, they beat New Zealand with a score of 42–33.
- In 2001, they won against Australia by just one point.
- They defeated South Africa in 2002.
- In 2003, they had a victory over England.
However, their winning streak ended in 2004 when they lost 14–24 to Argentina. The French team returned to the Vélodrome in November 2009 for another game against New Zealand. In 2018, the stadium hosted its first Six Nations match, with France playing against Italy.
Other Rugby Teams at the Vélodrome
Other rugby teams have also used the Stade Vélodrome. On April 18, 2009, Toulon played a home game against Toulouse here. An amazing 57,039 people came to watch Toulon win 14–6. This win was very important for Toulon, helping them avoid being moved down to a lower league in the 2008–09 Top 14 season. Toulon has continued to play some of their home matches at the Vélodrome in later seasons. The stadium also hosted both semi-final games of the 2010–11 Top 14 season. It was also used for the Toulon versus Munster semi-final in the 2013–14 Heineken Cup.
Images for kids
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The Vélodrome in 1937.
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The entrance to the Stade Vélodrome, the only part left from the original stadium until it was taken down in 2013.
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The Stade Vélodrome as it looked from 1998 to 2011.
See also
In Spanish: Stade Vélodrome para niños
