Madrid, Spain
Complete venue guide for sports travelers — capacity, transportation, hotels, and match day tips for your trip to Madrid.
Riyadh Air Metropolitano is the home of Atlético de Madrid and one of Europe's most modern arenas, opened in September 2017 in the northeast of the Spanish capital. With a capacity of 70,692, it is the first stadium in the world with 100% LED lighting and features a 360-degree "Sky Ribbon" video screen around the bowl. The venue hosted the 2019 Champions League final, when Liverpool beat Tottenham, and will stage the final again on 5 June 2027 — the second time in under a decade. Built as part of Atlético's Ciudad del Deporte project — a 265,000-square-metre leisure, entertainment, and sports district — the stadium is also shortlisted as a venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Rather than a new build, the arena rose from the shell of La Peineta, the 1994 athletics stadium, rebuilt for Atlético's move from the Vicente Calderón and wrapped in a spectacular wave-shaped roof that has become the club's architectural signature.
The stadium stands on Avenida de Luis Aragonés in the Rosas neighbourhood, in the far northeast of Madrid beside the M-40 ring road. It sits roughly 15 minutes from Madrid-Barajas Airport and the IFEMA exhibition centre, and about 25-35 minutes by metro from the city centre. Metro Line 7 stops directly at Estadio Metropolitano station, which floods with red-and-white shirts on match days as fans climb toward the spectacular wave-shaped roof.
The Metropolitano opened on 16 September 2017 with a 1-0 Atlético win over Málaga, carrying a name that honours the club's original 1923-1966 Metropolitano ground. It needed only two seasons to land football's biggest occasion: the 2019 UEFA Champions League final, when Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0. Atlético's era has since delivered the 2021 La Liga title and thunderous European nights under the Sky Ribbon, while Spain internationals, World Rugby Sevens finals, boxing, and concerts from Bruce Springsteen to Bad Bunny have broadened the calendar. In 2027 the Champions League final returns — and the stadium is shortlisted as a venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The Metropolitano's 70,692 seats are arranged in three tiers — a lower tier of roughly 20,000, a middle tier of around 14,000, and an upper tier of more than 30,000 — that rise steeply and close to the pitch, creating an intimate, wall-of-noise feel unusual for a stadium this size. Every seat sits under the wave-shaped roof, one of the most distinctive silhouettes in European football. The Fondo Sur behind the south goal houses the loudest Atlético support and the main fan zone; the family-friendly Fondo Norte is fully non-smoking. The 360-degree Sky Ribbon screen keeps replays visible from every angle.
For premium atmosphere, take the middle-tier boxes and hospitality seats at Fondo Sur, behind the south goal — you sit with the loudest Atlético support while enjoying padded seats, lounge access, and covered comfort. Champions League nights here combine the roar of the hardcore end with club-level catering.
The Preferencia — the long middle-tier side stand — offers the best view in the house: elevated, central, and close to the pitch, with the Sky Ribbon screen in perfect eyeline and the whole tactical picture visible. Mid-tier rows here feel closer to the action than equivalent seats at older, flatter grounds.
Upper-tier seats in Fondo Norte, behind the north goal, are the cheapest way into the Metropolitano and still deliver a superb experience: steep, close sightlines, the family-friendly non-smoking zone, and full views of the pitch and the Sky Ribbon. Buy early for Champions League nights, when even top rows vanish.
Line 7 (orange) stops at Estadio Metropolitano station, right beside the stadium — the walk from platform to turnstile takes under ten minutes. Trains run every 5-8 minutes and connect with the rest of the network at Pitis and Avenida de América interchanges. After matches, staff manage queues onto the platform; the wait rarely exceeds 30 minutes even after a full house.
Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) is only about 15 minutes by car from the stadium, with direct flights from every major European capital and long-haul hubs in the Americas and Asia. Metro Line 8 connects the airport to the city centre, where you transfer to Line 7 for the stadium. Taxis and Uber run a fixed airport tariff, and the Cercanías rail links Barajas to Chamartín in the north.
Cercanías suburban rail serves nearby Fuente de la Mora station, a 15-minute walk from the ground, linking the stadium with Chamartín and the northern suburbs. Urban bus lines 48, 105, 112, and 130 also stop around the stadium perimeter. On Champions League and derby nights extra services run, but roads around the M-40 clog badly for two hours after the final whistle.
The stadium has around 1,000 spaces inside the building and 3,000 outside, but these are reserved for parking card holders on match days. Public parking is limited to the IFEMA fairground area, from which shuttle buses operate for big matches. Most locals simply don't drive — the metro is faster and cheaper, and the M-40 exit ramps jam solidly 90 minutes before kick-off.
Match-day parking inside the stadium complex is reserved for permit holders only. The public option is the IFEMA fairground car park, connected by shuttle buses on major match days. Most fans skip driving entirely: Metro Line 7 drops you beside the turnstiles, Cercanías rail serves Fuente de la Mora a short walk away, and M-40 exit ramps jam solidly 90 minutes before kick-off.
Match day at the Metropolitano blends Madrid's tapas ritual with football pilgrimage. Fans gather over cañas and croquetas in the city center hours before kickoff, then ride Metro Line 7 northeast as red-and-white shirts flood every carriage toward the wave-shaped roof. Around the ground, the Rosas district's family tabernas and the north and south fan zones fill with grills, live music, and matchday flags, building toward the roar inside the 70,692-seat bowl. For Champions League finals, the celebration's epicenter shifts to Plaza de Cibeles in central Madrid, where the traditional fan gathering and trophy celebrations fill the square deep into the night.
Start with cañas and croquetas around Sol or the Mercado de San Miguel, then ride Metro Line 7 northeast as red-and-white shirts gradually flood every carriage toward the stadium.
The north and south fan zones open with live music, food stalls, and grills; bags larger than A4 are refused at the turnstiles, so arrive hands-free and early.
Take your seat as the 360-degree LED screen wraps the bowl in club colours — the tifo and chants build fastest at Fondo Sur behind the south goal.
The steep three-tier bowl holds noise like a cauldron; every seat sits beneath the wave-shaped roof, and the Sky Ribbon keeps replays visible from any angle in the ground.
Head straight to Estadio Metropolitano station to beat the crush, or enjoy a slow drink in the Rosas district while platform queues clear — Plaza de Cibeles fills for trophy nights.
Inside the ground, concourse stands sell bocadillos calamares, jamón serrano rolls, tortilla slices, and Mahou beer. Prices are fair by stadium standards; queues move fastest at the upper-tier kiosks away from the tunnel entrances.
Pre-match in the centre? This glass-walled market near Plaza Mayor pours Rioja and plates Iberian ham, Galician octopus, and croquetas. Make a tapas crawl here your ritual before hopping the Metro Line 7 northeast.
Around the stadium, the quiet Rosas district hides family-run tabernas where a caña still comes with a free tapa — match-day grills set up around the fan zones early, so arrive hungry and before the crowds.
Places to stay within easy reach of Riyadh Air Metropolitano. We may earn a small commission when you book through our links.
The Westin Palace has hosted football royalty since 1912, sitting between the Prado and the Cortes. Direct metro rides toward Line 7 reach the stadium in about 30 minutes. Its grand rotunda lounge is the classic spot for a pre-match lunch before the red-and-white pilgrimage northeast.
Search HotelsOccupying the upper floors of the SyV Tower on Paseo de la Castellana, this design hotel sits on the stadium side of the city — around 15 minutes by car or a short metro hop from the Metropolitano. Skyscraper rooms look toward the stadium's wave roof, with sunset views over the Sierra de Guadarrama.
Search HotelsA smart mid-range pick right at Puerta del Sol, Madrid's kilometre-zero square. Line 7 is two connections away, and the surrounding tapas streets of the city centre make pre- and post-match evenings effortless. Rates climb on Champions League nights, so book as soon as fixtures are confirmed.
Search HotelsThe stadium sits in Madrid's quiet San Blas-Canillejas district, where the Rosas neighbourhood's family tabernas and cafés circle the ground. The new Nasas Madrid shopping centre is rising opposite the south parking for the 2027 Champions League final, while IFEMA's fairgrounds and Barajas Airport sit minutes away.
Riyadh Air Metropolitano holds 70,692 spectators, making it one of Spain's largest stadiums. Opened in September 2017 as Atlético de Madrid's replacement for the Vicente Calderón, it offers 96% covered seating and was the first stadium in the world illuminated entirely by LED lighting, with a 400-metre-long, five-metre-high 360-degree "Sky Ribbon" screen.
Metro Line 7 stops directly at Estadio Metropolitano station beside the stadium, roughly 25-35 minutes from the city centre with a connection at Avenida de América. Cercanías suburban rail serves Fuente de la Mora, a 15-minute walk away, while buses 48, 105, 112, and 130 stop nearby. Madrid-Barajas Airport is only 15 minutes away by car.
Yes. UEFA has confirmed that the 2027 Champions League final will be played at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday 5 June 2027, the stadium's second final after Liverpool beat Tottenham there in 2019. It will be Madrid's sixth European Cup or Champions League final overall, more than any city except London.
The stadium sits in a quiet residential district, so most fans stay in central Madrid — Gran Vía, Sol, or the Salamanca district are 25-35 minutes away by metro. The Eurostars Madrid Tower on Paseo de la Castellana is closer to the stadium side. Book early for Champions League nights, when city-wide rates spike.
The stadium hosts all Atlético de Madrid home matches in La Liga and Europe, plus Spain internationals, rugby union, the World Rugby Sevens Series Grand Final, and boxing. Global stars such as Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Ed Sheeran, and Bad Bunny have all played here, and it is shortlisted as a 2030 FIFA World Cup venue.
Champions League final 2027 at Madrid's Metropolitano, June 5. Ballot tickets from €70, hotels near $180/night, Metro Line 7 tips — plan from $1,500.
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