Stadiums and sports venues, Lisbon

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The Estadio Jose Alvalade XXI is a five star UEFA stadium which was inaugurated in August 2003.

It hosted several matches in the EURO 2004 and is home to the Portuguese top club Sporting Lisbon. The capacity for sport events is 52.000.

The stadium was also designed to host concerts; for example the Irish band U2 perfomed in the stadium on their "Vertigo tour" in 2005.

Directions:
The Estadio Jose Alvalade XXI is is situated about 10 minutes north of the city centre. The nearest metro stop is "Campo Grande" (yellow or green line).

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Two of Portugal's biggest football clubs are based in Lisbon; Sporting Clube de Portugal and SL Benfica. I'm not a fan of any of the clubs, but have always had some sympathy for Sporting – mainly because the legendary Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel used to play for them. Nevertheless, it was Benfica’s home ground (Estádio da Luz) I decided to give a visit. It is the biggest stadium in Portugal and the football club has a fantastic history, both national and international (two times winners of the European Cup)…

I went there with VT-member Carlos (jorgec25) and had a great time. We began the visit with lunch at the stadium restaurant which has a fabulous view of the stadium. Sometimes you can be lucky and meet current or former players (like legendary Eusébio) at the restaurant. Unfortunately, we didn’t meet any on a quiet Tuesday around noon…

We joined a guided tour of Estádio da Luz and first we visited the stadium museum. You are walking through a long corridor and on both sides are photos and trophies on display. The place is packed with National championship trophies, the European Cup (the Trophy with the Big Ears), and lots of photos of old line ups, and former and current players - for instance Eusébio, Rui Costa, and the Danish player Michael Manniche. Carlos and I talked so much about the old football days that the other people in our tour group lost patience, and told us to hurry up… Maybe the tour should end here so people have more time to explore the museum!

After the museum we entered the stadium which was built for the Euro 2004 Championships, and was home of the final and a couple of other games. The capacity is 65,400 spectators, and is very beautiful with its red and white seats (the club colours). On our tour we visited the changing rooms, the indoor training areas, the press facilities, walked down the player’s tunnel, sat on the bench, and tried the seats in the VIP area. Unfortunately, we didn’t see the Benfica eagle that fly around the stadium before every home game – but we met the eagle’s sister/brother/friend(?) at the souvenir shop where the tour ended.

This is a must in Lisbon if you are a football freak like me… The tour price was 10 Euro, 5 Euro for the museum and 5 Euro for the stadium tour (October 2010).

Well, this sport doesnt have to be described. Everybody knows what football is and for you Americans (soccer) and Sporting is one of the best teams in Lisbon so I suggest you to watch one of their games when you visit Lisbon. I did not have that possibility, but I hope I can see one game in the future.

Equipment: None.

No trip to Lisbon for Football fans is complete without seeing the two stadiums
of two of Europe's most famous teams:Benfica and Sporting Lisbon,great city rivals on a par with other cities such as Manchester and Milan.Unfortunately only viewed these great stadiums from the seat of the coach but both looked mighty impressive and very modern.

Benfica was formed in 1904 and the 'Estadio da Luz'means 'Stadium of Light'.
Sporting was formed in 1906 at the 'Estadio Jose Alvalade',both stadiums are used for a variety of other sports such as Athletics,Archery,Handball,Basketball and Rugby.

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The football club we in England usually refer to as Sporting Lisbon is more properly known as Sporting Clube de Portugal, and is much more than just a football team, encompassing handball and athletics among other sports. But it is likely to be football that draws you here, as it did us. We came to watch a match in the UEFA Cup competition, a quarter-final between Sporting and our own team, Newcastle United. Sadly I have to report that Newcastle lost and went out of the competition, so it was not an altogether successful evening. But the Toon Army (the followers of Newcastle United) always makes the best of things, and we managed to enjoy ourselves before and after the match, if not during it, as photo 5 shows (taken at a café in the Praça da Figueira).

If you aren’t able to make it to a match you might like instead to do a Stadium tour or visit the “Mundo Sporting” museum. We didn’t do either so I can’t comment on how good these are, but the stadium is certainly an impressive structure and I imagine would be worth a closer look. The cost of a combined tour and museum visit is eight euros, and tours operate Monday to Friday at 11.30, 14.30 and 16.00, and on Saturday and Sunday at 10.30, 12.00, 14.30 and 16.00.

Lisbon has 3 teams in portuguese 1st division with their own stadiums.

1) Estádio da Luz, with 65.200 seats was inaugurated on 25 of October of 2003. This stadium substituted the previous one in order to host Euro 2004. It was the stadium of the final and it was also used to the show New Seven Wonders of the World. It is selected as stadium for the World Cup 2018 proposal by Portugal and Spain. The design of the stadium was done by the australian company HOK S+V+E and it has a mediamarkt and some stores and multipurpose pavillions.
The stadium can be visited and the entrance costs 5€, tickets can be acquired in the door 18. Schedules are 10h00, 11h00, 12h00, 14h30, 15h30, 16h30 and 17h30 (this last tour only in June to September).
The stadium is property of Sport Lisboa e Benfica the world club that according to the Guiness Book of Records has more associates (170.000). The last soccer champions title was won in 2004/05 and has a real eagle as a mascot that flies before the game start. In 2007/08 was 4th. The foundation of the club dates back to 1904 and its main achievements are the winning of 2 champion league cups (1960/61 and 61/62) and 5 finals. Other modalities are basketball, cycling, hockey, futsal, rugby, handball, athletics, etc...
You can get to the stadium by using the subway station Colégio Militar Luz/Alto dos Moinhos (blue line) or the bus 3, 64, 729, 750, 765, 767, 768 or 799.
Seven Wonders Show - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJT0LrFSt2s
Final Euro 2004 (PortugalxGreece) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUkBa7uMIqU
Official Website: www.slbenfica.pt

2) Alvalade XXI, with 50.095 seats was inaugurated on 6th of August of 2003. This stadium substituted the previous one (from 1956) in order to host Euro 2004. This stadium received the UEFA Cup Final in 2004/05. It is selected as stadium for the World Cup 2018 proposal by Portugal and Spain. The design of the stadium was done by the Ballast Company and a portuguese architect called Taveira. Some people love the design of the stadium other totally hate it. It has a small mall with a Lidl supermarket, stores and cinemas. There are also pavillions, a health centre, clinic, etc... The trainnings are done in the beautiful Academia where there is the formation centre (from where come from famous players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Figo, Futre, Simão Sabrosa, Miguel, etc). The stadium is also used in summer to concerts.
You can visit the stadium and museum (combined ticket of 8€) and visits at 11:30h/14:30h/16:00h. The museum is open from 11h to 18h and entrance costs 6€. The visit just to the stadium costs 5€.Tickets can be bought in the VIP Hall.
The stadium is property of Sporting Clube de Portugal and has held throughout its long history (since 1906) more than 34 different sportive activities. It is part of the 3 main portuguese clubs and has the record in the world of olympic medal of a club. It is also the club in Europe with more trophies after Barcelona (13.000). The motto of the club is Effort, Devotion, Dedication and Glory and the symbol a lion. The last soccer champions title was won in 2001/02 but won the portuguese cup in the last two seasons and was finalist of UEFA cup in 2004/05. In 2007/08 was 2nd in the championship. Their main international record was in 63/64 when they won the cup of the winners cup. Other modalities are athletics (several olympic medals and more than 30 european titles as a team), futsal, handball, gymnastics (11 european titles), swimming (3 european titles), archery (2 european titles), full contact Karate (1 intercontinental title, 3 european champion, 1 world champion), table tennis (3 european bronze medals), etc...
You can get to the stadium by using the subway station Campo Grande/Telheiras (green line) or the bus 7, 36, 47, 78, 106, 108, 701, 750, 767, 777.
Opening Stadium - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bVuKjwPNV8
Official Website: www.sporting.pt

3) Restelo Stadium, with 32.500 seats was inaugurated oin 1956 in the place of a quarry. The stadium is used for concerts, for the team home games and the visit of the pope João Paulo II. The stadium has a beautiful view over the river and olympic swimming pools and pavillions.
The stadium is property of Os Belenenses a club that was founded in 1919 close to Mosteiro dos Jerónimos where today is their stadium. It is still the portuguese club with more international presences after the big 3 (Sporting, Benfica and Porto). It only won the championship once and has 3 cups of Portugal. They have several sportive activities besides soccer such as swimming, athletics or basketball.
You can get to the stadium by taking bus 28, 714, 727, 729, 732, 751 and tram 15E.
Official Website: www.osbelenenses.com

It is easy to get tickets to the games with the exception of derbies, meaning everytime Porto, Benfica or Sporting play together. Tickets to Champions league might also be harder to get.

Betting agencies such as http://www.hunchers.com/ are good places to check for schedules of the next games.

Every time a club from Lisbon wons the championship there is a huge party. Normally the centre is in Marquês de Pombal and a bus takes the players around town. Traffic can become cahotic.

Bullfights when they are in season (Easter to Mid July), take place on Thursday at the Praca de Touros do Campo Pequeno (as it is locally known). The Arena can hold close to 10,000 people. When the bullfighting is not in season, the arena is used for concerts and events.

from my point of view, and 60% of portuguese, the best soccer club in the world.
like a disease. once, born benfica, one must die benfica.
if yu came to portugal, lisboa, a soccer game at the CATHEDRAL, is the breathtaking experience to take. the new (estadio da luz) stadium of light is the gattering spot for benfica supporters to suffer and rejoy every week. it's a religion