Inaugurated on 16 November 2003 with a friendly against FC Barcelona that witnessed the historic senior debut of a 16-year-old Lionel Messi. The Dragão hosted the opening match of UEFA Euro 2004 (Portugal vs Greece), the inaugural 2019 UEFA Nations League Final won by Portugal, and the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
Designed by Manuel Salgado, the stadium is crowned by a magnificent 21,000 m² translucent glass-and-steel lattice roof supported by two massive 280-meter longitudinal trusses. The design allows natural sunlight to filter down to the grass while shielding spectators from Atlantic rain, framed by views of the Porto urban valley.
The Dragão is Portugal’s northern flagship for 2030, scheduled to host competitive group stage fixtures, a round of 16 battle, and a quarter-final. Direct metro connection to Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (25 minutes) provides seamless fan transit.