Description
The Giuseppe Meazza stadium, known to everyone as San Siro, is home to AC Milan and Inter, in the district of the same name west of central Milan. They call it "the La Scala of football," and it is the largest stadium in Italy.
It opened on September 19, 1926 with a friendly derby, won by Inter over Milan 6-3. It was the wish of Milan's president Piero Pirelli and was designed by Ulisse Stacchini, the architect of Stazione Centrale.
The name San Siro was chosen by Anteo Carapezzi, a former cyclist and Milan executive. In 1935 the stadium passed to the city, and since 1947 their black-and-blue cousins have played here too: before that, Inter was at the Arena Civica.
Today's shape is built in layers. In the 1950s came the second ring, a single terrace stacked above the other, and capacity rose to almost a hundred thousand seats. For the 1990 World Cup the third ring was added.
The third ring rests on 11 cylindrical towers, which are also external spiral ramps: they are the detail you recognize from far away. Four of them, at the corners, hold up the roof of steel beams.
Since 1980 the stadium has borne the name of Giuseppe Meazza, world champion in 1934 and 1938, a Milanese and a man of both teams. For the fans, though, it remains San Siro.
Don't miss the Inter and Milan museum, opened in 1996 inside the stadium: newspaper articles, trophies, match jerseys and memorabilia of the two clubs from their origins.
San Siro is not only football. It has hosted four European Cup and Champions League finals, a World Cup semifinal in 1934 and the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Since 1980 it has also been the stage for the big summer concerts: Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen have all sung here. In 2009 an Italy-New Zealand rugby match was played here with over 81,000 spectators.
It opened on September 19, 1926 with a friendly derby, won by Inter over Milan 6-3. It was the wish of Milan's president Piero Pirelli and was designed by Ulisse Stacchini, the architect of Stazione Centrale.
The name San Siro was chosen by Anteo Carapezzi, a former cyclist and Milan executive. In 1935 the stadium passed to the city, and since 1947 their black-and-blue cousins have played here too: before that, Inter was at the Arena Civica.
Today's shape is built in layers. In the 1950s came the second ring, a single terrace stacked above the other, and capacity rose to almost a hundred thousand seats. For the 1990 World Cup the third ring was added.
The third ring rests on 11 cylindrical towers, which are also external spiral ramps: they are the detail you recognize from far away. Four of them, at the corners, hold up the roof of steel beams.
Since 1980 the stadium has borne the name of Giuseppe Meazza, world champion in 1934 and 1938, a Milanese and a man of both teams. For the fans, though, it remains San Siro.
Don't miss the Inter and Milan museum, opened in 1996 inside the stadium: newspaper articles, trophies, match jerseys and memorabilia of the two clubs from their origins.
San Siro is not only football. It has hosted four European Cup and Champions League finals, a World Cup semifinal in 1934 and the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Since 1980 it has also been the stage for the big summer concerts: Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen have all sung here. In 2009 an Italy-New Zealand rugby match was played here with over 81,000 spectators.