Stadio Diego Armando Maradona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

UEFA
Former names	Stadio del Sole (1959–63) Stadio San Paolo (1963–2020)
Location	Naples, Campania, Italy
Coordinates	40°49′41″N 14°11′35″E / 40.8280°N 14.1930°E / 40.8280; 14.1930
Owner	Comune di Napoli
Executive suites	20
Capacity	54,726 (all-seater)
Record attendance	90,736 (Napoli v Juventus, 15 December 1974)
Field size	110 m × 68 m (361 ft × 223 ft)
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1952
Built	1952–1959
Opened	6 December 1959 (1959-12-06)
Renovated	1989–1990, 2018–2019
Architect	Carlo Cocchia, Luigi Corradi
Tenants
SSC Napoli (1959–present) Italy national football team (selected matches)

The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is a very big sports stadium in Naples, Italy. It used to be called Stadio San Paolo. This stadium was finished in 1959. It is the fourth-largest football stadium in Italy. It has seats for 54,726 people. The stadium is the home ground for SSC Napoli, a famous football team. Napoli was the champion of Serie A (Italy's top football league) in 2023.

After the famous football player Diego Maradona passed away in 2020, the city decided to rename the stadium after him. Maradona was a hero in Naples. The name change was made official on December 4, 2020.

The Stadium's Story

Steel poles were put into the ground to support the stadium during its early construction.

Naples needed a new stadium because the old one, Stadio Partenopeo, was destroyed in 1942. This happened during the bombing of Naples in World War II. The new stadium was built in a growing area called Fuorigrotta. Construction started on April 27, 1952. The plan was for a huge stadium that could hold about 90,000 people.

The stadium opened on December 6, 1959. It was first called Stadio del Sole, which means "Stadium of the Sun." In its first game, Napoli beat Juventus 2–1. Four years later, it was renamed Stadio San Paolo after Paul the Apostle. He visited the area about 2,000 years ago. Many fans still call it San Paolo today. On December 15, 1974, the stadium set a record. 90,736 people came to watch Napoli play.

The stadium in 1963, also known as Fuorigrotta.

Fans celebrating in 1987.

The stadium got its first updates for the 1980 UEFA European Football Championships. It received a new electronic scoreboard and better lights. About ten years later, it was updated again for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. During this time, it became an all-seater stadium. This meant every fan had a seat, which reduced the capacity to about 76,000.

After the World Cup, the stadium started to show its age. The concrete began to crack, and the roof leaked. Fans complained about broken seats. This led to some sections being closed. The stadium also lacked modern facilities for players and fans. The city of Naples owned the stadium. Sometimes, political issues and money problems delayed repairs. Napoli, the football club, even faced money troubles in 2004.

A view of the stadium in 2010.

Big changes finally came between 2018 and 2019. About €20 million was spent to get ready for the XXX Summer Universiade. The locker rooms and press areas were made modern. New, brighter lights were put in. The old seats were replaced with wider ones. Large video screens, called jumbotrons, were added. Metal railings were changed to glass barriers. These updates reduced the seating capacity to 54,726. On December 4, 2020, the stadium was officially renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

The stadium after its most recent updates in 2019.

On July 26, 2025, Napoli announced plans to build a new stadium. This decision came after the current stadium was not chosen to host games for UEFA Euro 2032.

Exciting Sports Events

1990 FIFA World Cup Matches

The stadium hosted five matches during the 1990 FIFA World Cup. One of the most memorable was a semi-final game between Italy and Argentina. The atmosphere was very exciting. Diego Maradona, Argentina's star player, also played for Napoli. He was a hero in Naples for helping the club win its first two Serie A titles. Argentina won the semi-final match after a penalty shootout. Maradona scored one of Argentina's goals in the shootout.

The World Cup matches at the stadium took place from June 13 to July 3. They included two group stage games, a Round of 16 match, a quarter-final, and the semi-final.

XXX Summer Universiade

The XXX Summer Universiade was a big international sports event for university students. It happened from July 3 to 14, 2019. The opening ceremony was held at the stadium. Italy's President Sergio Mattarella attended. Olympic champion Massimiliano Rosolino was there, and Italian singer Andrea Bocelli performed.

Fun Concerts

Many famous musicians have performed at the stadium. The Italian pop band Pooh celebrated their 1,000th live show here in 1979. The Rolling Stones played to a huge crowd in 1982. Zucchero and U2 both performed in 1993. Neapolitan artist Pino Daniele had a sold-out concert in 1998. In 2023, Coldplay played two sold-out shows as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour.

Other Events

A view of the stadium during the opening ceremony of the IV Mediterranean Games.

The stadium hosted football games for the 1960 Summer Olympics.

The IV Mediterranean Games were held here from September 21 to 29, 1963.

Italy won a special "coin-toss semifinal" against the Soviet Union here. This was during the 1968 UEFA European Football Championship. Over 68,000 fans watched.

The stadium also hosted four matches during the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship.

On September 2, 2006, Italy played a Euro 2008 qualifying game against Lithuania at this stadium.

See also

In Spanish: Estadio Diego Armando Maradona (Italia) para niños