Atatürk Olympic Stadium

Lore & Background

With its 77,563 (all-seater) capacity and Olympic size, it was granted the '5-star sports complex' title by UEFA in 2004. The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final between Milan and Liverpool was played at the stadium on 25 May 2005. The stadium was originally scheduled to host the 2020 final, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the match was postponed and later moved to Lisbon; it was then set to hold the 2021 final between Manchester City and Chelsea, but that was also moved to Portugal. The stadium hosted the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

In Their Own Story

The air in Istanbul was thick with humidity and anticipation. The first half had been a nightmare; three goals conceded, the Kop's hope seemingly extinguished before halftime. But as the second half began, a shift occurred. A roar erupted from the away section, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the Turkish coliseum. Every tackle, every pass, and every near-miss was met with a collective gasp or cheer that echoed off the stadium's vast roof. When the final whistle blew after penalties, the silence broke into an explosion of pure, unadulterated joy.

Reader's Guide

Süper Lig team Istanbul BB used the venue as their home stadium until they moved to the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium in 2014. Galatasaray played its home games at the stadium during the 2003–04 season because their own venue was under renovation, and also played 2006–07 UEFA Champions League group stage matches there. Sivasspor played some Süper Lig home games at the stadium due to bad weather in their hometown. Beşiktaş used the arena in the 2013–14 season while their own stadium was under construction. Since their promotion to the Süper Lig in 2020, Fatih Karagümrük uses the stadium as its home.

Did You Know?

• The stadium's two steel roofs weigh 2,800 t and 1,300 t.
• The stadium allows 80,000 spectators to evacuate within 7.5 minutes.
• The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final is dubbed 'The Miracle of Istanbul'.
• The stadium was originally built for Turkey's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.