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San Siro is an iconic stadium in Milan and the largest in Italy. It’s the home ground of world-renowned clubs Inter and AC Milan.
Introduction to San Siro
Construction on San Siro Stadium (Stadio San Siro) was initiated by AC Milan president Piero Pirelli (1881-1956). It began in December 1925 and the stadium opened on September 19, 1926, with Inter defeating AC Milan 6-3. It was the home ground of AC Milan but they’ve shared it with Inter since 1947. The original capacity was around 35,000.
The City of Milan purchased the stadium in 1935 and began an expansion project to increase capacity to 55,000. Further expansion took place in 1955, adding a second level and capacity for 85,000, and lights were installed in 1957.
The stadium took its current appearance during renovations between 1987 and 1990 to prepare it for the World Cup. This includes the concrete support towers and roof with the distinctive red girders. The current seating capacity is just under 76,000.
The stadium was officially named for local football legend Giuseppe Meazza (1910-1979) on March 2, 1980. The museum, chronicling the histories of both clubs, opened in 1986.
In June 2019, both clubs announced their intention to build a new stadium to replace the San Siro. It was anticipated to be ready for the 2022-23 season but the project never came to fruition. The clubs announced another proposal in March 2025 to purchase the site and build a new state-of-the-art stadium. For more information on the stadium, visit the official website.
San Siro Stadium Tour
Although we didn’t have a chance to take it, there’s a stadium tour available. I’m sure it would be an interesting way to learn about the history of the San Siro as well as how it’s shared by two massive clubs. Tickets, including admission to the museum, are €35 for adults and €25 for kids under 14 and seniors age 65+ (as of May 2025). The museum and tour are open daily but match or event days may affect the schedule.
Inter vs Lazio (December 21, 2016)
Before we traveled to Milan, I noticed that Inter were playing Lazio at the iconic Stadio San Siro. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to attend the game. I went straight to the official Inter website and bought two tickets making sure we would have good seats.
After getting some rest in our hotel, we jumped on the metro to the San Siro stop, arriving about 20 minutes before kickoff. It was a foggy night and at times it was hard to see the stadium from the parking lot. Entering through the gate, we made our way up to our seats, which had an amazing view of the field.
The Game
The game dragged for most of the first half without much action, but we enjoyed the lively atmosphere. Fans in our section were friendly and enthusiastic throughout the game.
Everything changed shortly after the second half began. At 54′, Argentinian Éver Banega blasted a rocket past the Lazio keeper to give Inter the edge. Just two minutes later, his countryman Mauro Icardi beautifully headed in a cross from Danilo D’Ambrosio to make it 2-0.
Icardi capped off the scoring at 65′ when keeper Federico Marchetti couldn’t get enough of a touch on the ball. The crowd erupted in celebration and chanted the striker’s name. With the game well out of reach, Inter took their foot off the gas and there wasn’t much action the rest of the way.
The game finished 3-0 in favor of Inter, and the hometown fans went home happy. Here are the highlights of the game:
Food Trucks
In order to avoid a crowded metro, we stuck around outside the stadium and had some delicious street food at one of the food trucks.
