Estadio do Dragao

Estádio do Dragão sits in Porto where the old ground once stood.

Manuel Salgado designed the place, and the general contractor Somague built it. They finished the work in November 2003. The facade carries 21,000 square metres of traditional Portuguese ceramic tiles, the azulejos. Inside, Samsung P10 LED screens hang above the pitch, which is natural grass and has no undersoil heating. There are 96 executive suites tucked into the stands alongside the 50,033 seats.

The first game played here was a friendly against FC Barcelona a few weeks after it opened. FC Porto won 2–0, and 52,004 people watched that match. A 16-year-old Lionel Messi made his debut in that same fixture. The capacity has never been higher than that opening night.

It hosted the opening match of UEFA Euro 2004 between Portugal and Greece, as well as three group matches, a quarter-final and a semi-final. Concerts have been staged here, including one by The Rolling Stones in 2006 and another by Coldplay the following decade.

The name Estádio do Dragão was chosen before the doors opened. It has never changed, and the club has stuck with it.