Stade de France is football ground in Paris and has held the most number of eminent sporting events of any stadium. It is the sixth largest stadium in the world, located in the Parisian suburb Saint-Denis.
The stadium is used as the home ground for France national football and rugby team since the inauguration. It is also the only stadium to host both football and rugby world cups.
A major venue for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the stadium hosted the opening match, the semi-final and the final of the tournament. With a capacity of 81,338, it is the largest stadium in France.
History
When France was chosen to host the 1998 FIFA World Cup, there was a need for a stadium that could hold more than 70,000 people. Since no other stadium had a capacity of more than 45,000 a new stadium was needed and thus the construction of the stadium began in 1995.
The stadium was opened officially on 28th January 1998. The first match was played between France and Spain, with the home team winning 1-0, and the sole goal coming from Zinedine Zidane.
Major Matches
The World Cup final of 1998 was played in the Stade de France between France and Brazil, which the French team won 3-0. The tournament’s opening game against Scotland was also played in the same stadium.
The 2016 Confederations Cup hosted by France saw some group stage matches, the quarter-final and the final between Portugal and France; which Portugal won 1-0 played in the stadium.
Stade de France has hosted the French football cup finals for 21 years, with the next one to be played on 8th May 2018.
Controversies
During the international friendly between France and Algeria in 2001, the fans came out on the pitch and the match had to be abandoned. The outbreak was criticized by many, further increasing the tension between the nations.
Before the 2016 Euro World Cup, police executed a controlled explosion on a car parked astray. The explosion caused a panic amongst the supporters.
Recent Matches
France played Belarus on 11th October 2017 in the European World Cup qualifiers, winning 2-1.
The friendly against Wales was held on 11th November at the Stade de France which the French team won 2-0.
