Estadio Santiago Bernabéu Construction

Lore & Background

In the early 1940s, the old Campo de Chamartín had become too small. In spring 1943, President Antonio Santos Peralba expressed the need for a new stadium with an initial capacity of 40,000. With Santiago Bernabéu's arrival as president in September 1943, the plan gained momentum for a capacity near 75,000. Land was acquired in June 1944, and construction began in June 1945, designed by architects Manuel Muñoz Monasterio and Luis Alemany Soler. The stadium was built on the grounds of the old field and adjacent lands, forcing Real Madrid to play home games at the Stadium Metropolitano during the 1946–47 season and part of 1947–48. The total cost was around 16,000,000 pesetas budgeted, but rose due to terrain, material price increases, and new labor regulations.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell hard on the night of December 14, 1947, but it could not dampen the roar rising from the new Chamartín. As the floodlights cut through the Madrid fog, illuminating the pristine white pitch for the first time, Santiago Bernabéu stood in his box, hands clasped tightly against the glass. Below, the players of Osasuna looked small against the vastness of the new concrete walls that seemed to reach toward the sky. When the whistle blew, the sound didn't just echo; it reverberated through the bones of the city. This was no longer a ground for local games; this was the launchpad for an empire. The first goal scored in this arena felt like a prophecy fulfilled, signaling that the world would soon learn to fear the white jersey.

Reader's Guide

The stadium has a seating capacity of 83,186 following its extensive renovation completed in late 2024. It is the second-largest football stadium in Spain, behind Camp Nou. It has hosted the European Cup/UEFA Champions League final four times (1957, 1969, 1980, 2010) and the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores Finals, making it the only stadium to host finals of both competitions. It also hosted the 1964 European Nations' Cup final and the 1982 FIFA World Cup final, making it the first European stadium to host both a UEFA Euro final and a FIFA World Cup final.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was named after former Real Madrid player and president Santiago Bernabéu (1895–1978).
• The construction used 2,000,000 bricks and moved about 150,000 m³ of earth.
• The financing was structured through three bond issues totaling 30,000,000 pesetas, all covered on the day of release.