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81-550: The anthem is played inside the stadium before the start of each UEFA Champions League match, in addition to the beginning and end of television broadcasts of the games. Special vocal versions of the anthem have been performed live at the UEFA Champions League Final . UEFA's official website states, "the anthem is now almost as iconic as the trophy." In 1991, UEFA instructed its commercial partner Television Event and Media Marketing (TEAM) to develop new ways of branding

162-446: A Champions League final, and teams from ten of those have won the competition. Since the 1995–96 season, other than Porto's win in 2003–04, the winners have come from one of only four nations – Spain (13), England (7), Germany (4) and Italy (4) – and other than Monaco in 2003–04 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2019–20, the runners-up have all come from the same four nations. England has produced the most winning teams, with six clubs having won

243-585: A carpet lay and play system. Wembley has been used for American football matches in the National Football League 's International Series . Tottenham Hotspur hosted Manchester City in a Premier League match on 29 October 2018, a day after Wembley hosted the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars . Due to the short turnaround, faded gridiron markings and the NFL logo were clearly visible on

324-411: A completely different area altogether. There's a rising string phase which I pinched from Handel and then I wrote my own tune. It has a kind of Handelian feel to it but I like to think it's not a total rip-off." The composing process took "just a matter of days". Britten also mentioned that he does not own the rights to the anthem, which are retained by UEFA, but he receives royalties when it is used. For

405-574: A concept of silver in both sound and vision. For the season, 2024/25 the anthem was slightly refined by Tony Britten and re-recorded as part of a new brand identity for the UEFA Champions League. Ce sont les meilleures équipes Sie sind die allerbesten Mannschaften The main event Die Meister Die Besten Les grandes équipes The champions Une grande réunion Eine große sportliche Veranstaltung The main event Ils sont les meilleurs Sie sind die Besten These are

486-501: A counter-claim for unpaid fees of £250,000. The dispute between Multiplex and Mott MacDonald was settled out of court in June 2010, ahead of a January 2011 trial. The terms of the settlement not disclosed, but it was reported that Multiplex "would not be out of pocket". Multiplex also took the original steel contractor, Cleveland Bridge, to court claiming £38 million compensation for costs resulting from Cleveland Bridge withdrawing from

567-429: A crowd of 87,192, a record for either the men's or women's European Championship. The stadium will also host matches during UEFA Euro 2028 . The Rugby league Challenge Cup Final had been played annually at the old Wembley Stadium since 1929. In 2007, the cup final returned to its traditional home after the rebuilding of Wembley. When Catalans Dragons played St. Helens in the 2007 Challenge Cup final , they became

648-471: A full-scale match was David Bentley with a free kick in the same game. The first club game, competitive game, and cup final held at the new Wembley took place on 12 May 2007 when Kidderminster Harriers met Stevenage Borough in the FA Trophy final . Kidderminster striker James Constable was the first player to score a goal in a final at the new Wembley. Kidderminster became the first team to play at both

729-646: A game between England and the team he managed, Croatia , in November 2007. The pitch was cut up during the game, which was blamed by some as the reason England did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2008 . The Football Association admitted in April 2009, after the FA Cup semi-finals , that improvements were needed to the Wembley pitch, after criticism of the surface by coaches Alex Ferguson , Arsène Wenger and David Moyes . In March 2010,

810-471: A goal by Didier Drogba , making him the first player to score in the FA Cup Final at the new Wembley – the first male player to score in four separate FA Cup Finals. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech also became the first goalkeeper not to concede a goal in a competitive game at Wembley. Chelsea were the last winners of the cup final at the old Wembley and the first winners at the new. The first game involving

891-574: A handover date of 31 March, in time for the cup final on 13 May. However, in December 2005, the builders admitted that there was a "material risk" that the stadium might not be ready in time for the final. In February 2006 these worries were confirmed, with the FA moving the game to Cardiff 's Millennium Stadium . On 20 March 2006, a steel rafter in the roof of the new development fell by 1 + 1 ⁄ 2  ft (46 cm), forcing 3,000 workers to evacuate

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972-437: A headbutt on Craig Stanley of Morecambe. The first Football League teams to play at Wembley in a competitive fixture were Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury Town in the 2007 Football League Two play-off final on 26 May 2007. Shrewsbury Town became the first league team to score at Wembley via a Stewart Drummond goal, they also the first league team to have a player sent off, in this case – Marc Tierney Bristol Rovers won

1053-616: A hub for the English game. Wembley Stadium is owned by the governing body of English football, the Football Association , whose headquarters are in the stadium, through its subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL). With 90,000 seats, it is the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest stadium in Europe , behind Barcelona's Camp Nou . Designed by Populous and Foster and Partners ,

1134-515: A record six clubs and Italy have produced twelve winners from three clubs. English teams were banned from the competition for five years following the Heysel disaster in 1985. The current champions are Real Madrid, who beat Borussia Dortmund 2–0 in the 2024 final . While the venue for the final is chosen well in advance, on four occasions clubs have reached a final scheduled to be played in their own stadium; Real Madrid won their second European Cup in

1215-450: Is 115 yd (105 m) long by 75 yd (69 m) wide, slightly narrower than the old Wembley, as required by the UEFA stadium categories for a category four stadium, the top category. In a period after the completion of the new Wembley, the pitch came into disrepute. It was described as being "no good" and "not in the condition that Wembley used to be known for" by Slaven Bilić before

1296-424: Is a circular section lattice arch of 7 m (23 ft) internal diameter with a 315 m (1,033 ft) span, erected some 22° off true, and rising to 133 m (436 ft). It supports all the weight of the north roof and 60% of the weight of the retractable roof on the southern side. The arch is the world's longest unsupported roof structure. A platform system was designed in order to temporarily convert

1377-490: Is a seasonal football competition established in 1955. Prior to the 1992–93 season , the tournament was named the European Cup. The UEFA Champions League is open to the league champions of all UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) member associations (except Liechtenstein , which has no league competition), as well as to the clubs finishing from second to fourth position in the strongest leagues. Originally, only

1458-476: Is estimated to be over £10 million. In 2007, Multiplex also contested a claim from its concrete contractor, PC Harrington, that Multiplex owes £13.4 million to PC Harrington. In April 2018, Shahid Khan , the owner of Fulham F.C. and the Jacksonville Jaguars , put forward an offer to purchase Wembley Stadium from the FA. The deal included not only the purchase of the stadium, but also providing

1539-556: Is held at Wembley since 2007, and the FA Women's Cup final since 2015. The new Wembley was a significant part of the plan for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London; the stadium was the site of several games in both the men's and women's football tournaments, with the finals being held there. The FA offices at Wembley Stadium, with social areas and boardroom, were designed by architects Gebler Tooth – who were also responsible for Team GB House at

1620-399: Is movable. The primary reason for the sliding roof was to avoid shading the pitch, as grass demands direct sunlight to grow effectively. The sliding roof design minimises the shadow by having the roof pulled back on the east, west and south. Angus Campbell, the chief architect, also said that an aim was for the pitch to be in sunlight during matches played between 3 pm and 5 pm from

1701-464: The 2012 Olympic Games football tournament . The stadium also hosts the Rugby Football League 's Challenge Cup , Women's Challenge Cup , and 1895 Cup finals, in addition to various music concerts. The stadium also hosted NFL London Games until 2019 and was also the temporary home of Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur between August 2017 and March 2019, while White Hart Lane

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1782-520: The 2013 UEFA Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund , and in September 2019 it was named the host for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final . Due to adjustments of the 2020 final caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe , it staged the following season's final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid instead. During the 2012 Olympics , Great Britain defeated Brazil in

1863-451: The COVID-19 pandemic . The 2022 and 2024 finals similarly used a standard pre-recorded version of the anthem. In the 2023 final , held in Istanbul, Hungarian pianist Ádám György performed the piano version of the anthem. The complete anthem is about three minutes long, and has two short verses and a chorus. In addition to the anthem, there is also entrance music, which contains parts of

1944-739: The England national football team is a major user of Wembley. In 2007, the League Cup final moved back to Wembley from Cardiff following the FA Cup final and FA Community Shield . Other showpiece football matches that were previously staged at Wembley, such as the Football League promotion play-offs and the Football League Trophy final, have returned to the stadium. In addition, the Conference National (now National League) play-off final

2025-540: The European Champion Clubs' Cup and a new one was commissioned; since 2009, the winning team each year has received a full-size replica of the trophy, while the original is retained by UEFA. A total of 23 clubs have won the Champions League/European Cup. Real Madrid holds the record for the most victories, having won the competition 15 times, including the inaugural edition. They have also won

2106-490: The London Olympic Stadium has been used for major athletics events since 2012. The initial plan for the reconstruction of Wembley Stadium was for demolition to begin before Christmas 2000, and for the new stadium to be completed some time during 2003, but this work was delayed by a succession of financial and legal difficulties. In 2004, London Mayor Ken Livingstone and Brent Council also announced wider plans for

2187-688: The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in 1957, while in 1965 Inter Milan also won their second title in the final at the San Siro . In 1984, the Stadio Olimpico in Rome was the venue and saw Roma defeated on penalties by Liverpool, while 2012 saw the Allianz Arena host the final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea , which the English club also won on penalties. Teams from thirteen nations have appeared in

2268-510: The Women's FA Cup finals and an increasing number of home games of the England women's national football team . A UEFA category four stadium, Wembley hosted the 2011 , 2013 and the 2024 Champions League Finals, eight games at UEFA Euro 2020 (including the final and both of the semi-finals), and hosted the final of the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 . The stadium hosted the gold-medal matches at

2349-565: The regeneration of Wembley , taking in the arena and the surrounding areas as well as the stadium, to be implemented over two or three decades. Demolition officially began on 30 September 2002, with the Twin Towers being dismantled in December 2002. Delays to the construction project started as far back as 2003. In December 2003, the constructors of the arch, subcontractors Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company of Darlington , warned Multiplex about rising costs. Cleveland Bridge withdrew from

2430-539: The round of 16 match at the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, England won 2–0 against Germany at Wembley, for the national team's first knockout victory against their international rivals Germany at a major international football tournament, since the 1966 World Cup final at the original Wembley Stadium . On 7 July 2021, in the semi-final match at the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, England won 2–1 against Denmark at Wembley, for

2511-455: The statue of Bobby Moore had been unveiled by his former England team-mate Sir Bobby Charlton outside the stadium entrance, as the "finishing touch" to the completion of the stadium. The twice life-size bronze statue, sculpted by Philip Jackson , depicts England's 1966 World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore , looking down Olympic Way . The pitch size, as lined for association football,

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2592-543: The 2007 Challenge Cup Final. The first official try at the renovated Wembley was scored by James Roby of St Helens, although Luke Metcalfe of Castleford High School scored the first try in the schools game that took place before the 2007 Challenge Cup final. Castleford Academy (formerly Castleford High School) currently hold the record for the most Rugby League appearances at the New Wembley Stadium. On 24 August 2013 their Year 7 Rugby team played RGS High Wycombe in

2673-566: The European Cup (which would be renamed the UEFA Champions League in 1992). This process resulted in the Champions League's anthem, as well as its "starball" logo and distinctive house colours. "Magic... it's magic above all else. When you hear the anthem it captivates you straight away." — Zinedine Zidane . The anthem was written by English composer Tony Britten in 1992, adapted from George Frideric Händel 's anthem Zadok

2754-614: The FA Cup final, the stadium also hosts other major games in English football, including the season-opening FA Community Shield , the finals of lower tiered cup competition – the FA Trophy , the FA Vase , finals of the EFL Cup and EFL Trophy , the FA Cup semi-finals , and the promotion play-off finals of the tiers two, three, four , and five of the English football league system . The stadium also hosts

2835-544: The FA full rights to keep control of the Club Wembley business. On 18 July 2018, a parliamentary select committee was held to discuss the possible sale, with evidence being given by former player, Gary Neville , and Katrina Law of the Football Supporters' Federation . The offer was withdrawn on 17 October 2018. Given the ownership of the stadium by the Football Association (the governing body of English football),

2916-508: The FA on 9 March 2007. The official Wembley Stadium website had announced that the stadium would be open for public viewing for local residents of Brent on 3 March 2007, however this was delayed by two weeks and instead happened on 17 March. While the stadium had hosted football matches since the handover in March, the stadium was officially opened on Saturday 19 May, with the staging of the 2007 FA Cup Final . Eight days before that on Friday 11 May,

2997-508: The London 2012 Olympics. Additionally, the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final returned to Wembley Stadium in 2007, and the stadium also hosted both semi-finals of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup . Wembley was one of the 13 venues for the 2015 Rugby World Cup . The Race of Champions staged their 2007 and 2008 events at the stadium. Tottenham Hotspur agreed with the operators (Wembley National Stadium Ltd) to use

3078-555: The Priest , which is traditionally performed at the coronation of British monarchs. In a 2013 newspaper interview, Britten stated that "I had a commercials agent and they approached me to write something anthemic and because it was just after The Three Tenors at the World Cup in Italy so classical music was all the rage. Hooliganism was a major, major problem and UEFA wanted to take the game into

3159-548: The annual schools curtain-raiser to the Challenge Cup final. This was Castleford Academy's 4th appearance at the stadium since 2007. This puts them joint with Leeds and one appearance ahead of Warrington . In 2015, a second statue was erected outside of Wembley, depicting Rugby League legends Martin Offiah , Alex Murphy , Eric Ashton , Gus Risman and Billy Boston . In 2011, International rugby league returned to Wembley for

3240-461: The anthem itself, which is played as teams enter the field. The anthem has been released commercially in its original version on iTunes and Spotify with the title of Champions League Theme. In 2018, composer Hans Zimmer remixed the anthem with rapper Vince Staples for EA Sports' video game FIFA 19 , with it also featuring in the game's reveal trailer. List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League finals The UEFA Champions League

3321-403: The beginning of May to the end of June, when the FA and World Cups would be played. However, it was mentioned during live commentary of the mid-May 2007 FA Cup Final that the pitch was in partial shade at the start at 3 pm and also during the match. The stadium roof rises to 52 metres (171 ft) above the pitch and is supported by an arch rising 133 m (436 ft) above the level of

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3402-546: The building services was carried out by Mott MacDonald. The construction of the stadium was managed by Australian company Multiplex and funded by Sport England , WNSL (Wembley National Stadium Limited), the Football Association , the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the London Development Agency . It is one of the most expensive stadia ever built at a cost of £798 million in 2007, and has

3483-519: The champions Die Meister Die Besten Les grandes équipes The champions The anthem's chorus is played before each UEFA Champions League game as the two teams are lined up, as well as at the beginning and end of television broadcasts of the matches, and when the winning team lifts the trophy after the final. Special vocal versions have been performed live at the Champions League Final with lyrics in other languages, changing over to

3564-431: The champions of their respective national league and the defending champions of the competition were allowed to participate. However, this was changed in 1997 to allow the runners-up of the stronger leagues to compete as well, and again in 1999 when third and fourth-placed teams of the said leagues also became eligible. In the Champions League era, the defending champions of the competition did not automatically qualify until

3645-440: The competition the most consecutive times, with five straight titles from 1956 to 1960. Juventus have been runners-up the most times, losing seven finals. Atlético Madrid is the only team to reach three finals without having won the trophy while Reims and Valencia have finished as runners-up twice without winning. Spain has provided the most champions, with twenty wins from two clubs. England have produced fifteen winners from

3726-420: The completion of the stadium", which was then scheduled to be completed on 31 March 2006. On 30 March 2006, the developers announced that Wembley Stadium would not be ready until 2007. All competitions and concerts planned were to be moved to suitable locations. On 19 June 2006, it was announced that the turf had been laid. On 19 October 2006 it was announced that the venue was now set to open in early 2007 after

3807-426: The dispute between the Football Association and Multiplex had finally been settled. WNSL was expected to pay around £36m to Multiplex, on top of the amount of the original fixed-price contract. The total cost of the project (including local transport infrastructure redevelopment and the cost of financing) was estimated to be £1 billion. For the new stadium the level of the pitch was lowered. During excavation of

3888-415: The external concourse. With a span of 315 m (1,033 ft), the arch is the longest single-span roof structure in the world. The Australian firm Multiplex, which was the main contractor on Wembley Stadium, made significant losses on the project. In an attempt to recoup some of those losses, the firm initiated a number of legal cases against its sub-contractors and consultants. The largest of these –

3969-416: The final. It's probably the worst pitch we've played on all year. It was not good enough for a Wembley pitch." The stadium was then relaid with a Desso GrassMaster semi-artificial pitch, ahead of the 2010 community shield game between Chelsea and Manchester United . Michael Owen , who previously criticised the pitch for causing him injury, said that it was much improved. In 2023 the stadium switched to

4050-447: The first non-English rugby league team to play in the final. The result saw St Helens retain the cup by a score of 30–8 before 84,241 fans. The first rugby league team to win a game at the new Wembley Stadium, were Normanton Freeston . The West Yorkshire secondary school beat Castleford High School in the Year 7 boys Carnegie Champion Schools final, which was played immediately prior to

4131-414: The first time since 1997 when Wales lost to New Zealand 0–36 and Australia beat host nation England 36–20 in the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations . The semi-finals of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup were played at Wembley Stadium where defending champions New Zealand beat England 20–18, and eventual tournament champions Australia defeated Fiji 64–0. The double header drew 67,575 fans to Wembley,

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4212-449: The first women's international to take place at the stadium. On 23 November 2014 the England women's team played at the stadium for the first time when they lost 3–0 to Germany in a friendly. The stadium, with pandemic restrictions, hosted the UEFA Euro 2020 , which included all three of England's Group D , two round of 16 matches, both semi-finals , and the final . On 29 June 2021, in

4293-481: The full England national team was a friendly played on 1 June 2007, against Brazil . The match saw captain John Terry become the first England international goal scorer at the new stadium when he scored in the 68th minute. Diego became the first full international player to score for a visiting team when he scored in stoppage time, with the full-time result being a 1–1 draw. The first competitive senior international

4374-531: The game 3–1 in front of 61,589 which was a stadium record until the Championship play-off final two days later when Derby County beat West Bromwich Albion 1–0 to become the first team at the new stadium to win promotion to the FA Premier League. The first FA Cup Final at the new Wembley (between Manchester United and Chelsea ) was on 19 May 2007, with a crowd attendance of 89,826. Chelsea won 1–0 with

4455-485: The host country's language for the chorus. These versions were performed by: In the 2013 final at Wembley Stadium , the chorus was played twice. In the 2018 and 2019 finals, held in Kyiv and Madrid respectively, the instrumental version of the chorus was played, by 2Cellos (2018) and Asturia Girls (2019), while the 2020 and 2021 finals used the pre-recorded anthem's chorus instead, without any live performances due to

4536-465: The installation of a new head of state. The baroque music of the Zadok anthem associates the Champions League with the monarchies of Ancien Regime Europe. The baroque music also interconnects with the silver house colours, for the aristocratic connotations evoked by the silver are reflected and affirmed in this noble music. It is notable here that the anthem is associated with the (silver) cup itself because, in

4617-474: The introductory sequences, the music reaches its climax just as the footage of the Cup being lifted at the end of the previous year's competition is shown. It is interesting that the anthem is orchestrated so that the most prominent instruments at this climax are horns; they communicate a shining metallic sound which musically reflects the trophy itself. Music and colours merge together as one dense signifier, communicating

4698-502: The largest construction claim in UK legal history – was a claim for £253 million against the structural engineering consultants Mott MacDonald . In preliminary hearings the two architecture practices which worked for Multiplex on the project were ordered to allow Multiplex access to their records for them to build a case. The practices, Foster + Partners and Populous , estimated the costs of providing access and answering Multiplex's queries at £5 million. Mott MacDonald issued

4779-452: The largest roof-covered seating capacity in the world. Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners was appointed to assist Wembley National Stadium Limited in preparing the scheme for a new stadium and to obtain planning and listed building permission for the development. The all-seater stadium is a bowl design with a capacity of 90,000, protected from the elements by a sliding roof that does not completely enclose it. The stadium's signature feature

4860-405: The national team's first European Championship final ever, with Italy winning the final on Sunday 11 July 2021 against England . The stadium was also used to host the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 , albeit reserved only for the final on 31 July 2022, where England also reached the final, won the game against Germany 2–1 to bring England first ever major European honour. The final was watched by

4941-456: The new playing field, mechanical diggers unearthed a buried obstruction: the concrete foundations of Watkin's Tower , a failed attempt to construct a rival to the Eiffel Tower in London. Only the base of the tower was ever built before being abandoned and demolished in 1907; the site was later used as the location for the first Wembley Stadium. The new stadium was completed and handed over to

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5022-408: The new stadium took place on 17 May 2008, with Portsmouth winning the title 1–0 against Cardiff City ; Nwankwo Kanu scored the only goal. The final's 89,874 crowd attendance remains the largest football attendance in the new Wembley's history. Wembley Stadium hosted the UEFA Champions League final for the first time on 28 May 2011 when Barcelona played Manchester United . The stadium hosted

5103-429: The old Wembley, then Stevenage Borough in the new one). Ronnie Henry is the first ever player to lift a competitive club trophy at the new Wembley. The first penalty save and first red card came in the Conference National playoff final between Exeter City and Morecambe . The penalty was saved by Paul Jones of Exeter City from Morecambe striker Wayne Curtis . The red card was given to Matthew Gill of Exeter for

5184-453: The old and new stadium. Stevenage Borough were the first team to win a final at the new Wembley beating Kidderminster 3–2, despite trailing 2–0 at half time. The first players to play at both the old and new Wembley Stadiums were Steve Guppy (for Stevenage Borough) and Jeff Kenna (for Kidderminster Harriers). Ex- England international Guppy is also the first player to win a final at both stadia (with Wycombe Wanderers and Leicester City in

5265-476: The pitch along with worn grass along the centre of the pitch and the touch-lines. Tottenham were forced to hold the match at Wembley due to construction delays to their new ground . Despite the pitch's condition, UEFA allowed a Champions League leg to be played at Wembley on 6 November 2018 with Tottenham hosting Dutch side PSV Eindhoven . The stadium roof has an area of 40,000 m (430,000 sq ft), of which 13,722 m (147,700 sq ft)

5346-571: The project and were replaced by Dutch firm Hollandia, with all the attendant problems of starting over. 2004 also saw errors, most notably a fatal accident involving carpenter Patrick O'Sullivan for which construction firm PC Harrington Contractors were fined £150,000 in relation to breaches of health and safety laws. In October 2005, Sports Minister Richard Caborn announced: "They say the Cup Final will be there, barring six feet of snow or something like that". By November 2005, WNSL were still hopeful of

5427-464: The project. Cleveland Bridge, in turn, claimed up to £15 million from Multiplex. The case was resolved in September 2008 with Cleveland Bridge ordered to pay £6.1 million in damages and 20% of Multiplex's costs, after the court found against Cleveland Bridge. The judge criticised both sides for allowing the case to reach court, pointing out that total costs were £22 million, including £1 million for photocopying. Multiplex's ultimate bill

5508-563: The recording used in television transmissions of UEFA Champions League matches and events, the piece was performed by London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sung by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chorus. The chorus is in UEFA's three official languages : English , French , and German . Anthony King writes: The majestic music which rises to an impressive major key crescendo signifies

5589-409: The rules were changed in 2005 to allow title holders Liverpool to enter the competition. Teams that have won the UEFA Champions League three consecutive times, or five times overall, receive a multiple-winner badge . Six teams have earned this privilege: Real Madrid , Ajax , Bayern Munich , AC Milan , Liverpool, and Barcelona . Until 2009, clubs that had earned that badge were allowed to keep

5670-453: The site of the original Wembley Stadium , which had stood from 1923 until 2003. The stadium is England's national football stadium , and thus hosts the majority of the England national team home matches and the FA Cup Final – the final of England's primary domestic club football competition. It is widely regarded as one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world, and is considered

5751-617: The sports of football , rugby league and American football . The first match at the stadium was a game played behind closed doors between Multiplex and Wembley Stadium staff. The first game in front of spectators was between the Geoff Thomas Foundation Charity XI and the Wembley Sponsors Allstars on 17 March 2007. The Geoff Thomas Foundation Charity XI won 2–0 (scorers Mark Bright and Simon Jordan ). The first official match involving professional players

5832-426: The stadium and raising further doubts over the completion date which was already behind schedule. On 23 March 2006, sewers beneath the stadium buckled due to ground movement. GMB Union leader Steve Kelly said that the problem had been caused by the pipes not being properly laid, and that the repair would take months. A spokesman for developers Multiplex said that they did not believe this would "have any impact on

5913-419: The stadium for all of their European fixtures during the 2016–17 season , before using the stadium for the entire 2017–18 season . They also played most of their home games of the 2018–19 season at Wembley and continued until April 2019 when they moved to their new stadium . Wembley Stadium has a series of annual events that under normal circumstances are hosted at Wembley every year. These events cover

5994-503: The stadium is crowned by the 134-metre-high (440 ft) Wembley Arch which serves aesthetically as a landmark across London as well as structurally, with the arch supporting over 75% of the entire roof load. The stadium was built by Australian firm Multiplex at a cost of £798 million (£1.51 billion today). Two partially retractable roof structures over the east and west ends of the stadium can be opened to allow sunlight and aid pitch growth. In addition to England home games and

6075-432: The stadium to athletics use, but its use would decrease the stadium's capacity to approximately 60,000. No athletics events (track and field) have taken place at the stadium; the conversion for athletics use was a condition of part of the lottery funding the stadium received, but to convert it would take weeks of work and cost millions of pounds. Instead, with the awarding of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games to London in 2005,

6156-524: The surface was relaid for the tenth time since opening. In April 2010, the pitch was again criticised following the FA Cup semi-finals , during which the players found it difficult to keep their footing and the surface cut up despite the dry conditions. The then Tottenham Hotspur boss, Harry Redknapp , labelled it a "disgrace" after his side's semi-final defeat to Portsmouth . After the 2010 FA Cup Final , Chelsea captain John Terry said, "The pitch ruined

6237-563: The trophy. Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands have produced three winners, while Spain and Portugal have produced two winning clubs. Scotland, Romania, Yugoslavia, and France have produced one winner each. Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (sometimes referred to as The New Wembley and branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is an association football stadium in Wembley , London. It opened in 2007 on

6318-404: Was England U21s vs Italy U21s on 24 March 2007, which finished 3–3. Official attendance was 56,700 (although all of the 60,000 tickets that were made available were sold in advance). The first player to score in a FIFA -sanctioned match was Italian striker Giampaolo Pazzini after 28 seconds of the same game; he also scored the first hat-trick at Wembley. The first English player to score in

6399-432: Was being demolished and their new stadium was constructed. Wembley has also been chosen as one of the host stadia for UEFA Euro 2028 . In 2014, Wembley Stadium entered into a six-year sponsorship agreement with mobile provider EE Limited , under which it provides technology and infrastructure services for the venue. Under the agreement, the facility is officially referred to as "Wembley Stadium connected by EE". The deal

6480-553: Was played on 8 September 2007 between England and Israel . This game ended 3–0. The first player to score international goals at both the old and new stadia was Michael Owen when he scored for England against Israel. On 22 August Germany beat England 2–1 to become the first team to beat them in the new stadium. England's first competitive defeat at the new stadium was on 21 November 2007 when Croatia won 3–2. This match cost England qualification to UEFA Euro 2008 and head coach Steve McClaren his job. The second FA Cup final held at

6561-413: Was renewed in 2019 for a further 5 years, as part of EE's parent company BT's sponsorship deal with the England football team. Wembley was designed by architects Foster + Partners and HOK Sport (now Populous) and with engineers Mott Stadium Consortium, who were a collection of three structural engineering consultants in the form of Mott MacDonald , Sinclair Knight Merz and Aurecon . The design of

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