Parc des Princes

File:ParcdesPrinces1908.jpg

Originally called Stade Vélodrome du Parc des Princes, the stadium was inaugurated on 18 July 1897. Situated in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, the area was a forested parkland used by the royal family before the French Revolution. This gave the Parc des Princes its name.{{cite news

| title = Parc des Princes

| url = https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/article/parc-des-princes

| work = The Blizzard

| date = 4 September 2017

| access-date = 14 March 2020}}

With more than 3,000 seats, the velodrome had a 728-yard track. The director of the stadium, Henri Desgrange, was a former racing cyclist and founder of the cycling magazine L'Auto (predecessor of L'Équipe). The Parc des Princes marked the finish of the Tour from its first edition in 1903 until 1967. The 1900 UCI Track Cycling World Championships was held at the Parc des Princes.

In 1903, an English side easily defeated a team composed by the best Parisian players (11–0) in front of 984 paying spectators, in what was the first international football played at the Parc des Princes. In 1905, the France national football team contested its first ever home match against Switzerland, winning 1–0 at the Parc des Princes. Subsequently, the stadium welcomed further prestigious friendly games, but also four USFSA French Championship finals, as well as the 1919 Coupe de France Final between CASG Paris and Olympique de Paris in front of 10,000 spectators.

PSG's home also boasts a long history as an international rugby venue. In 1906, the France national rugby union team played their debut international, against the New Zealand national rugby union team. Other tenants included the Racing Club de France.

The stadium capacity was increased to 20,000 by the start of the 1924 Summer Olympics, held in Paris. However, Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, which had been expanded to 60,000 seats, hosted the event.

File:1932 Le parc des princes v1.jpg

In the 1930s, L'Auto founder Henri Desgrange and his business partner Victor Goddet carried out a thorough reconstruction of the Parc des Princes and expanded it so that the sports arena had seats for 45,000 visitors, including 26,000 covered. The new stadium opened on 19 April 1932. Its capacity, however, was quickly reduced to 38,000 seats to improve comfort. The Parc des Princes hosted the opening match of the 1938 FIFA World Cup between Switzerland and Germany as well as the victory of Hungary in the semi-final against Sweden. But Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir continued to be more important, hosting the 1938 FIFA World Cup final in which Italy beat the Hungarians 4–2 to claim its second consecutive world title.

Following the Liberation of Paris in August 1944 and the end of World War II in September 1945, the French football championship returned, with big Parisian clubs Stade français-Red Star and Racing Paris regularly playing at the Parc des Princes. Still equipped with a cycling track of 454 metres, the Tour de France was not the only major sporting event hosted at this stadium. The Parc des Princes also hosted the 1954 Rugby League World Cup final, which saw Great Britain defeat hosts France in the inaugural staging of the Rugby League World Cup;{{cite news

| title = World Cup 1954

| url = http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-1954/summary.html

| work = Rugby League Project

| date = 10 March 2020

| access-date = 14 March 2020}} Real Madrid's win over Stade de Reims in the first ever European Cup final in 1956; and the 1960 European Nations' Cup final, which saw the Soviet Union claim the first edition of the tournament after beating Yugoslavia.

Conceived by French architect Roger Taillibert and Iranian artist Siavash Teimouri, the third and current Parc des Princes is one of the continent's most emblematic and historic venues. It is a landmark and legally protected icon of French architecture.{{cite news

| title = Euro 2016: Parc des Princes

| url = http://stadiumdb.com/tournaments/euro/2016/parc_des_princes

| work = StadiumDB.com

| access-date = 7 July 2016}} It was also the first stadium with lighting systems integrated onto its elliptical roof, and to this day is praised for its unique acoustics and its distinctive concrete ribs or razors.

File:Paris, ortophotograph Parc des Princes.jpg

The inauguration of the Parc des Princes took place on 25 May 1972 on the occasion of the football match between France and USSR. The new stadium also hosted the 1972 Coupe de France Final between Olympique de Marseille and Bastia on 4 June 1972, and the 1972 Rugby League World Cup.{{cite news

| title = French Rugby Teams: Tradition, Talent, and Triumph

| url = https://www.oval3.game/news/french-rugby-teams

| work = OVAL3

| date = 29 November 2023

| access-date = 2 February 2024}} That same year, Paris Saint-Germain – a fusion between Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain – went through a bitter divorce. Paris FC remained in Ligue 1, while PSG kept their name but were administratively demoted to Division 3.{{cite news

| title = Histoire du Paris Saint Germain

| url = http://psg70.free.fr/historique.htm

| work = PSG70

| access-date = 2 April 2019}}{{cite news

| title = A brief history: Paris FC

| url = https://medium.com/@thefootballcult/a-brief-history-paris-fc-a06127e2572a

| work = thefootballcult – Medium

| date = 16 January 2018

| access-date = 2 April 2019}}

PSG played their first game at the Parc des Princes against Ligue 2 promotion rivals Red Star on 10 November 1973, as a curtain-raiser for that season's league season between Paris FC and Sochaux. PSG won 3–1 as Othniel Dossevi scored the club's first goal at the stadium.{{cite news

| title = Millième au Parc des Princes : ces dix matches qui ont fait l'histoire du PSG

| url = https://www.europe1.fr/sport/millieme-au-parc-des-princes-ces-dix-matches-qui-ont-fait-lhistoire-du-psg-2842636

| work = Europe1

| date = 9 September 2016

| access-date = 3 April 2019}} PSG returned to Ligue 1 in 1974, ironically the same year that Paris FC were relegated. They immediately moved into the Parc des Princes, which up until that point had been the home stadium of Paris FC. Before that, PSG had been playing at several grounds including the Stade Georges Lefèvre, the Stade Jean-Bouin, the Stade Bauer, and even the Parc des Princes a few times that season despite the reluctance of Paris FC.{{cite news

| title = 1973 - 1978 : Paris se replace sur la scène française

| url = https://parisunited.fr/oeil-du-supporter/1973-1978-paris-se-replace-sur-la-scene-francaise/

| work = Paris United

| date = 19 November 2018

| access-date = 7 March 2019}}{{cite news

| title = Le PSG et Manchester City, les faux jumeaux

| url = https://www.lemonde.fr/ligue-des-champions/article/2016/04/06/le-psg-et-manchester-city-les-faux-jumeaux_4897137_1616944.html

| work = Le Monde

| date = 5 April 2016

| access-date = 2 April 2019}} Thereafter, Paris FC and Racing Paris also played at the Parc des Princes while they were in Ligue 1 (until 1990), but never reaching the numbers of attendance leaders PSG.

Following its opening, the Parc des Princes finally became France's biggest stadium. This was where the national and international cup finals took place, including every single Coupe de France from 1972 to 1997, and three European club finals (the 1975 European Cup Final, the 1978 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, and the 1981 European Cup Final), and the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Most importantly, the Parc des Princes saw France defeat Spain in the UEFA Euro 1984 Final to claim its first-ever title. In 1992, France was named to host the 1998 World Cup. It was the country's first since 1938 and construction of a new arena began in May 1995, at the same time that Parc des Princes hosted the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final.

Inaugurated in January 1998, the Stade de France was the stadium of the future, while the Parc des Princes hosted its last international final that same year: the 1998 UEFA Cup Final. France have only played twice at the Parc des Princes since 1998: against Scotland during the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers in September 2007, and versus Australia in a friendly match in October 2013.{{cite news

| title = Le grand retour des Bleus au Parc des Princes

| url = https://sport24.lefigaro.fr/football/equipe-de-france/actualites/le-grand-retour-des-bleus-au-parc-des-princes-657319

| work = Sport24 - Le Figaro

| date = 10 October 2013

| access-date = 15 March 2020}} Nonetheless, the stadium has still staged games at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, 2007 Rugby World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

In November 2013, PSG reached an agreement with the Paris City Council, owner of the Parc des Princes, to extend their stadium lease for a further 30 years until 2043, based on a fixed rent plus a variable share of their income.{{cite news

| title = Paris: PSG confirm next 30 years at Parc des Princes

| url = http://stadiumdb.com/news/2013/11/paris_psg_confirm_next_30_years_at_parc_des_princes

| work = StadiumDB.com

| date = 27 November 2013

| access-date = 7 July 2016}}{{cite news

| title = Paris Saint-Germain finish Parc des Princes renovation but eye expansion

| url = http://www.goal.com/en/news/1722/ligue-1/2016/05/11/23388082/paris-saint-germain-finish-parc-des-prince-renovation-but

| work = Goal.com

| date = 11 May 2016

| access-date = 7 July 2016}} Subsequently, under the guidance of American architect Tom Sheehan, PSG completed a three-year €75 million upgrade of the Parc des Princes (2012, 2013–2014, 2015–2016) ahead of the UEFA Euro 2016 in France.

Two additional rows of seats were added, allowing the ground to remain at its current capacity, despite now boasting larger and more comfortable seats. Hospitality capacity went from 1,200 to 4,500, and new substitutes' benches and spacious, modern changing rooms that include warm-up and treatment rooms were installed. Carrying out this renovation work saw PSG's stadium revenue swell from €20m to €100m.

PSG are also looking to increase the capacity of their home to 60,000 in the coming years. From the start of their ownership at the club, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) made it clear that a larger stadium is necessary to establish PSG as one of the leading European clubs. Originally, there were two options under consideration: move to the Stade de France or expand the Parc des Princes. The former was discarded following the redevelopments made to the Parc des Princes ahead of the Euro 2016.{{cite news

| title = Paris: 2024 Olympics could accelerate Parc des Princes expansion

| url = http://stadiumdb.com/news/2016/05/paris_2024_olympics_could_accelerate_parc_des_princes_expansion

| work = StadiumDB.com

| date = 11 May 2016

| access-date = 11 July 2016}} There have also been rumours that QSI are interested in buying the Parc des Princes for a fee believed to be around €150m.

File:Germany v Switzerland WC 1938 (2).jpg]]

File:Match ouverture Coupe Monde féminine football 2019 France Corée Sud 7 juin 2019 Parc Princes Paris 37.jpg]]

File:Port aut em2016 3.jpg]]

File:Italie Portugal 19-09-07 (5).jpg]]

File:Uzbekistan vs. Spain, 2024 Summer Olympic men's association football, 2024-07-24 (266).jpg]]

Since its musical debut in June 1988, when Michael Jackson took the stage, the Parc des Princes has often hosted major concerts. Jackson played there again in 1997. The stadium was also used as a venue by other major artists, including The Rolling Stones and Prince in 1990, Johnny Hallyday in 1993, and David Bowie in 1997, as part of the Rock Festival in Paris. Following a show from U2 in 1997, the venue had a six-year musical hiatus.{{cite news

| title = Concerts au Parc des Princes, le retour

| url = https://www.psg.fr/equipes/the-club/content/concerts-au-parc-des-princes-le-retour-paris-saint-germain-2022

| work = PSG.FR

| date = 8 June 2022

| access-date = 12 August 2022}}

Johnny Hallyday's second stint in June 2003, with four concerts to celebrate his 60th anniversary, reactivated the music scene at the Parc des Princes. He remains the singer who performed the most live concerts, seven in total. It subsequently welcomed the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers (2004), Metallica (2004), Moby (2005), Iron Maiden (2005), Robbie Williams (2006), Muse (2007), Genesis (2007), Bruce Springsteen (2008), and Coldplay (2009). In June 2010, French hip hop group Suprême NTM and American rock band Green Day marked the last music chapter at the stadium in a long time.

In June 2022, DJ Snake became the first artist to perform at the Parc des Princes in twelve years. He was followed by French singer Dadju later that same month.

{{row counter|

File:Paris Parc des Princes 3.jpg|{{center|Panorama view of the stadium}}|alt=Panorama view of the stadium.

File:2016-06-17 Paris-Parc des Princes.jpg|{{center|View of the pitch during UEFA Euro 2016}}|alt=View of the pitch during UEFA Euro 2016.

File:Paris-Parc-des-Princes.jpg|{{center|PSG ultras seen from the Boulogne stand, in 2006}}|alt=PSG ultras seen from the Boulogne stand, in 2006.

• Camp des Loges
• Stade Georges Lefèvre
• Campus PSG

{{Reflist|group=note}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Parc des Princes}}

• [https://www.psg.fr/ PSG.FR - Site officiel du Paris Saint-Germain]

{{S-start}}

{{Succession box

| title=FIFA World Cup
Opening match venue

| before=All 8 venues used for
the 1934 FIFA World Cup,
matches on the first day were
all played at the same time

| after=Estádio do Maracanã
Rio de Janeiro

| years=1938

}}

{{Succession box

| title = European Cup
Final venue

| before = first stadium

| after = Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
Madrid

| years = 1956

}}

{{Succession box

| title=European Nations' Cup
Final venue

| before=first stadium

| after=Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
Madrid

| years=1960

}}

{{Succession box

| title = European Cup
Final venue

| before = Heysel Stadium
Brussels

| after = Hampden Park
Glasgow

| years = 1975

}}

{{Succession box

| title = European Cup Winners' Cup
Final venue

| before = Olympisch Stadion
Amsterdam

| after = St. Jakob Stadium
Basel

| years = 1978

}}

{{Succession box

| title = European Cup
Final venue

| before = Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Madrid

| after = De Kuip
Rotterdam

| years = 1981

}}

{{Succession box

| title = UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
Final venue

| before = Parken Stadium
Copenhagen

| after = King Baudouin Stadium
Brussels

| years = 1995

}}

{{Succession box

| title = UEFA Cup
Final venue

| before = Two-legged final

| after = Luzhniki Stadium
Moscow

| years = 1998

}}

{{end}}

{{Paris FC}}

{{Paris Saint-Germain F.C.}}

{{Ligue 1 venues}}

{{Navboxes|list=

{{16th arrondissement of Paris}}

{{Visitor attractions in Paris}}

{{Paris FC}}

{{Football in France}}

{{France national rugby union team}}

{{UEFA European Championship final stadiums}}

{{UEFA Champions League Final venues}}

{{UEFA Europa League Final venues}}

{{UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final venues}}

{{UEFA Super Cup venues}}

{{1938 FIFA World Cup stadiums}}

{{1954 RLWC Venues}}

{{1960 European Nations' Cup stadiums}}

{{1972 RLWC Venues}}

{{UEFA Euro 1984 stadiums}}

{{1998 FIFA World Cup stadiums}}

{{European Rugby Champions Cup Final venues}}

{{2007 Rugby World Cup Venues}}

{{UEFA Euro 2016 stadiums}}

{{2019 FIFA Women's World Cup stadiums}}

{{2024 Summer Olympic Venues}}

{{Olympic venues football}}

{{Tour de France}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parc des Princes}}

Category:Football venues in France

Category:Paris Saint-Germain FC

Category:16th arrondissement of Paris

Category:Rugby union stadiums in France

Category:Rugby league stadiums in France

Category:Sports venues in Paris

Category:Velodromes in France

Category:Sports venues completed in 1972

Category:Venues of the 2024 Summer Olympics

Category:UEFA European Championship final stadiums

Category:1972 establishments in France