Estadio León (Nou Camp) - León Stadium Guide

Held on 1st March 1967, the inaugural fixture at Estadio Leon was not played between a Mexican side, but Santos FC of Brazil, and River Plate of Argentina. Although the opening of the stadium coincided with the 1968 Olympic Football Tournament, undoubtedly the Nou Camp was created with one eye on the the 1970 World Cup.

Costing a reported $12.5 million dollars to build, construction work began on August 18th and was completed just under two years later on February 4th 1967. After successfully passing the Olympic Audition, Estadio León was nominated as one of five venues for the tournament.

Although with 30,000 it was tied for Estadio Luis Dosal for the joint smallest capacity, it was chosen to host seven matches in total featuring the likes of Bulgaria, Peru, and Morocco. The most memorable match the rematch of the 1966 World Cup Final in the quarters, with West Germany getting revenge against the England side which defeated them four years ago.

As Twelve venues were used to host matches of the 1986 World Cup, The Nou Camp’s role in this tournament was significantly reduced to just four games. Three of these were France’s group games, and the fourth and final match was between Belgium and the Soviet Union in a round of 16.

Peaking with a capacity of 35,000 during the early 1990s, the capacity today sits at around 33,944. Recent renovations have focused on the aesthetic look and appeal of the stadium rather than expansions, and thus Leon’s Nou Camp feels like a modern football ground despite being built over 50 years ago.

Estadio León is comprised of four stands: North, East, South and West.

Click the thumbnails above to enlarge an image of each stand and to read a more detailed description of each part of the Stadium.