The Cathedral of Football: San Siro Stadium’s Enduring Legacy
The iconic Milan cultural landmark just survived being detroyed — what now?
By Gabriel Cousin, Axel Guillou and Rémi Hunault
San Siro Stadium is one of the world’s best known football arenas. Located at Piazzale Angelo Moratti, 20151, in the west of Milan, the stadium, whose official name is Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, is the home of the two clubs of the city : AC Milan and Internazionale Milano, two of the best and most successful clubs in Europe.
The stadium’s atmosphere is considered by many as “legendary” because of its close proximity to the pitch, steep slope of stands, and wide roof, making watching a game at San Siro a memorable experience. Giovanni, who has worked as a steward at the stadium for ten years, says a game at the stadium is “something I could watch every day and not get bored of”. He emphasizes that even for non-football fans, it is an unmissable Milan experience. We wanted to see if the atmosphere was as good as everyone told us, so we went to see Internazionale play against the Napoli team. The fans singing all game, the thrill that runs through the stadium on every occasion… Needless to say, we left impressed and amazed. At the corners of the stadium lie big iconic columns, through which you access the stands. The stairs in the columns produce an optical illusion, seeming like they are moving when fans walk through it. The gigantic roof of the stadium helps create reverb, creating an amazing sound atmosphere.
The rich historical background of the San Siro stadium makes it a highlight for all football fans visiting Milan. Chronologically, the Milanese teams did not have a stadium or a place to play their matches. It was in 1925 that construction of the stadium began in the historic district of “San Siro”, from which the arena got its name.
It was decided to build a sports complex with the sole purpose of hosting football matches. It was under the direction of the president of AC Milan at the time, Piero Pirelli, that the stadium was built in the same district as the racecourse also called “San Siro”. The project took a total of 13 months, and the total cost was 5 million lire (old Italian currency before the arrival of the euro). the opening ceremony took place on September 26, 1926, and 35000 spectators were present to see the match between the two great rivals Inter versus AC Milan. Step by step, the stadium continued to develop to better accommodate fans, renovations and architectural projects were carried out in 1935.
The second life of the stadium appeared during the arrival of the football World Cup in 1990 hosted by Italy. Major modernization and upgrading projects were deployed and carried out by Italian companies. We no longer find the old stands where we cannot sit, now all the places are seated. The biggest update remains the roof covering supported by enormous pillars above the stands.
From a more pragmatic point of view, the stadium has a lot of need-to-know information if you want to visit it. The stadium is located approximately 5 kilometers from the city center, and is very well served by transport, in particular by line 5 of the Milanese metro, which has its own “San Siro Stadio” stop. As for the bus, line 49 connects the San Cristoforo train station to San Siro. The closest stops to the stadium are Piazza Axum and San Siro Stadio M5. For the tram, two lines connect downtown Milan to the stadium: the 16 or the 49 serve directly to the San Siro Stadio M5 stop, both from the city center. The stadium is also widely equipped with large parking, for very reasonable prices.
The stadium has a maximum capacity of 80,000 seats, which are used during football matches, but also for various events such as shows or concerts, the next one taking place in June and featuring Bruce Springsteen. The price of a seat therefore depends on a large number of factors; the inherent price of the seat (more or less distant in the ranks) and the reservation date (more or less close to the date of the event) are constants, but they are not the only ones. Indeed, depending on the type of football match, whether international or national or the reputation of the opposing team, prices can vary enormously : games of the European Cup or against famed Italian teams like Napoli or Juventus will be way more expensive. There are also special tariffs for spectators under 16 or over 60 years old.
Thus, prices can vary from 50 to more than 250 euros depending on the match, but the average for the year 2021–2022 was around 120 euros for matches in the Italian national league, the famous Serie A.
It is also interesting to know that the San Siro Stadium has its own museum, open every day (except days of events or matches). For around 30 euros, down to 25 if you are under 14 or over 65, you can visit the museum, where you can see both teams trophies, old jerseys and historic moments, but also the stadium itself, including the stands, the pitch, and the locker rooms. A visit that is worth the sight as the atmosphere is different without events, which allows you to better appreciate the environment and the unique architecture of this place.
On February 6, 2026, the San Siro stadium will host the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games for one evening.
The San Siro stadium is not only a place dedicated to sport. You can also organize various private events such as gala dinners, parties, etc. The stadium has several large reception rooms that can accommodate up to 150 people.
However, this architectural masterpiece that some even call “the Cathedral of Italian football” was threatened with destruction. The two Milan clubs have both expressed their desire to destroy the San Siro stadium to build an ultra-modern stadium on its location, razing the old monument to the ground. Unfortunately, until as recently as 2023, it seemed that the opening ceremony would be the last major event that the stadium would host, as the two Milan teams were pushing to build a new stadium, which would match the big European names in terms of image and services.
This temple of football, whose history makes it an iconic landmark of the city of Milan is still dear to the hearts of many of its inhabitants. While associations and individuals managed to save the stadium, a mythical arena where so many memories were written, AC Milan and Internazionale will be the deciding factors in the stadium’s future. If both clubs were to depart the arena, the question of the relevancy of the Giuseppe-Meazza could emerge again. As the future of San Siro remains uncertain, this is your cue to enjoy the beauty of San Siro the sooner you can.
