Signal Iduna Park

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Plans to construct a new stadium were drawn up in the 1960s, as the need arose to expand and refurbish the traditional ground of Borussia Dortmund, the Stadion Rote Erde. In 1966, the team won the 1966 Cup Winners' Cup and it became clear that the Stadion Rote Erde was too small. The city of Dortmund was not able to finance a new stadium and federal institutions were unwilling to help. In 1971, Dortmund was selected to replace Cologne, which withdrew its plans to host games in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Funds originally set aside for Cologne were re-allocated to Dortmund. Architects and planners had to manage costs due to a tight budget, discarding plans for a 60 million DM oval stadium in favor of a cheaper 54,000 spectator football arena built of pre-fabricated concrete sections. Costs amounted to 32.7 million DM. On 2 April 1974, Borussia Dortmund officially moved into their new home. The stadium hosted matches in the 1974 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, the 2001 UEFA Cup final, and various national friendlies and qualification matches.

In Their Own Story

The rain hammered the concrete concourse, but the hum from the away section was instantly devoured by a roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of Dortmund. Emerging into the light, the pitch appeared swallowed by an endless ocean of yellow and black—a living, breathing barrier that seemed to block out the sky itself. The referee's whistle died instantly in the din; there was only the raw intensity of a battle against eleven opponents and a stadium that refused to let them breathe.

Reader's Guide

The stadium is composed of four roofed grandstands facing the playing field on the east, south, west and north sides. The eastern and western stands run the entire length of the field, while the breadth is covered by the north and south stands. The 24,454 capacity Südtribüne (South Bank) is the largest terrace for standing spectators in European football, after the terraces-ban within FIFA, FA and UEFA affiliated football. It has been nicknamed Die Gelbe Wand, meaning 'The Yellow Wall'. The Borusseum, the museum of Borussia Dortmund, is located in the north-east part of the stadium. The stadium holds the European record for average fan attendance, set in the 2011–12 season with almost 1.37 million spectators over 17 games at an average of 80,588 per game. Sales of annual season tickets amounted to 55,000 in 2015.

Did You Know?

• The stadium hosted the 2001 UEFA Cup final between Liverpool and Alavés on 16 May 2001.
• During the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the Group 2 match between Scotland and Zaire (2-0) on 14 June was the first time a Sub-Saharan African country played a FIFA World Cup game.
• During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Trinidad and Tobago played their first ever World Cup match at the stadium, against Sweden.
• During UEFA Euro 2024, severe thunderstorms caused water to cascade through sections of the stadium roof, soaking spectators ahead of the group-stage match between Turkey and Georgia.