Stade de France

Lore & Background

Initially built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics failed bid, the stadium's name was recommended by Michel Platini, head of the organizing committee. On 12 July 1998, France beat Brazil 3–0 in the 1998 FIFA World Cup final held at the stadium. The stadium was a key player in the success of the city's bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and also the Paralympics and in addition to hosting athletics and the closing ceremonies of both events.

The stadium was rugby sevens venue during the Olympic Games. Stade de France, listed as a Category 4 stadium by UEFA, hosted matches at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League finals in 2000, 2006 and 2022. It has as well hosted the 1999, 2007 and 2023 Rugby World Cups, making it one of only two stadia in the world to have hosted both a FIFA World Cup final and a rugby union World Cup final (along with Nissan Stadium in Yokohama). It also hosted seven matches at UEFA Euro 2016, including the final, where France lost to Portugal 1–0 in a tense extra time.

The facility also hosted the Race of Champions auto race in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The stadium hosted the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, and from 1999 to 2016, it hosted the annual Meeting de Paris athletics event. Domestically, Stade de France serves as a secondary home facility of Parisian rugby clubs Stade Français and Racing 92, hosting a few of their regular-season fixtures. The stadium also hosts the main French domestic cup finals, which include the Coupe de France (both football and rugby), Coupe de France Féminine, and the Coupe Gambardella, as well as the Top 14 rugby union championship match.

Reader's Guide

The discussion about a new national stadium in France was asked during the bid process for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, when this issue was noted as one of the weaknesses of the Paris bid for the 1992 Summer Olympics. And despite the existing infrastructure, if the process won, there was a guarantee that the French government and the French Football Federation would build a stadium for more than 80 thousand people and that it would become the main stage of the event.

With the confirmation of France's choice announced on July 2, 1992, this new all-seater covered stadium was guaranteed and thus broke the country's tradition of not building any new specific structure for a sporting event, as the last one was the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir. Due to the magnitude and importance of the facility, the Council of State was allowed a first-hand approach to how the stadium would be constructed and paid for. The Council sought for the stadium to be built as close as possible to Paris and their metropolitan area, and that the constructor and operator of the facility would receive significant financial contributions for 30 months following the stadium's completion.

The stadium was officially ready for construction following the government's selection of manufacturers, Bouygues, Dumez, and SGE, and the signing of building permits on 30 April 1995. With only 31 months to complete the stadium, construction commenced on 2 May 1995. The first cornerstone was laid five months later, on 6 September. After over a year of construction, over 800,000 of earthworks had been created, and as much as 180,000 of concrete had been poured.

The roof installation cost €45 million, and the mobile platform took over a year to complete. During the developmental phase, the stadium was referred to in French as the Grand Stade. On 4 December 1995, the Ministry of Sport launched a design competition to decide on a name for the stadium. The stadium was officially named Stade de France after the Ministry heard a proposal from Michel Platini, who recommended the name.

The total cost of the stadium was €364 million. The stadium was inaugurated on 28 January 1998, with a friendly football match between France and Spain.