Estádio Algarve


The Estádio Algarve is an association football stadium located between Faro and Loulé municipalities, in the Algarve region of Portugal. The stadium has a total capacity of 30,305 spectators and was purposely built for the UEFA Euro 2004 championship. Since 2023, only 22,000 seats are made available for football matches due to security concerns.

History

The Estádio Algarve was designed in the summer of 2000 in accordance with UEFA and FIFA standards by Populous for the UEFA Euro 2004 championship hosted in Portugal. The design team included WS Atkins engineers and local partners including Marobal. The design is regional in nature, alluding to the maritime traditions of Portugal and harmonizing with the distinctive local landscape of the region of Algarve. The stadium is considered a model small/regional flexible use stadium for football and other sports and cultural events, being one of the most used stadiums in Portugal, compared to others used only for matches in the main Portuguese Football League.
From 2004 to 2013, Louletano shared the stadium with Sporting Clube Farense. Since 2004, the Estádio Algarve has hosted several matches of the Portugal national football team. A former home of Farense and Louletano shortly after its inauguration, the stadium also received some Olhanense and Portimonense matches during their respective stadiums' works of renovation since those teams are also from the region of Algarve. The Algarve Stadium also hosts the final match of the Algarve Cup, a major annual international tournament for women's football national teams, and the Algarve Football Cup, a pre-season friendly tournament for men's football clubs.
File:Sébastien Loeb - 2007 Rally Portugal.jpg|thumb|right|Sébastien Loeb driving his Citroën C4 WRC at the 2007 Rally de Portugal won by him. The rally included super special stages performed at the stadium.
The stadium hosted the inaugural Algarve Challenge Cup tournament on 22 and 24 July 2008 that saw Cardiff City, Celtic, Middlesbrough, and Vitória de Guimarães in action. Cardiff City were the eventual winners of the tournament with victories over Celtic and Vitória.
The Estádio Algarve was also the temporary home ground of the Gibraltar national football team around the mid-2010s. It will once again host Gibraltar from March 2023 while improvements are made to the Victoria Stadium.
Aside from football, it has also hosted music festivals and concerts, and has been temporarily converted into a super special stage during the Rally de Portugal, including the 2007 Rally de Portugal and the 2010 Rally de Portugal.

Euro 2004 Matches

Portugal national football team

The following national team matches were held at the stadium.
#DateScoreOpponentCompetition
1.18 February 20041–1Friendly
2.3 September 20056–02006 World Cup qualification
3.11 February 20091–0Friendly
4.10 August 20115–0Friendly
5.15 August 20122–0Friendly
6.14 August 20131–1Friendly
7.14 November 20141–0Euro 2016 qualifying
8.13 November 20164–12018 World Cup qualification
9.6 September 20181–1Friendly
10.14 November 20196–0Euro 2020 qualifying
11.1 September 20212–12022 FIFA World Cup qualification
12.9 October 20213–0Friendly
13.12 October 20215–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
14.11 September 20239–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying

Gibraltar national football team

The following national team matches were held at the stadium.
#DateScoreOpponentCompetition
1.19 November 20130–0Friendly
2.4 June 20141–0Friendly
3.7 September 20140–7UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
4.14 October 20140–3UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
5.13 June 20150–7UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
6.4 September 20150–4UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
7.11 October 20150–6UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
8.6 September 20161–42018 FIFA World Cup qualification
9.10 October 20160–62018 FIFA World Cup qualification
10.9 June 20171–22018 FIFA World Cup qualification
11.3 September 20170–42018 FIFA World Cup qualification
12.7 October 20170–62018 FIFA World Cup qualification
13.24 March 20230–3UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
14.16 June 20230–3UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
15.16 October 20230–4UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
16.21 November 20230–6UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
17.21 March 20240–12022–23 UEFA Nations League relegation playoffs
18.3 June 20240–2Friendly
19.6 June 20240–0Friendly
20.25 March 20250–42026 FIFA World Cup qualification
21.6 June 20250–72026 FIFA World Cup qualification