- Address: 3302-5 Kozukue-cho, Yokohama
- Country: Japan
- Capacity: 72,000
- Opened: 1 March 1998
- Main use: Football, rugby union
- Tenants: Canon Eagles (rugby union), Yokohama F. Marinos (football)
Extra stadium info – Nissan Stadium
The stadium was named International Stadium Yokohama between 1998 and 2005. It is known as a venue for several events, like athletics, concerts, football and rugby union. The Nissan Stadium is named after a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer. The company, which became one of the most successful automobile manufacturers in the world, is headquartered in Yokohama.
The 2002 FIFA World Cup
In 2002, the stadium hosted four matches for the FIFA World Cup, the world championship for national football teams. The first match was won by the national football team of Japan after defeating Russia. Junichi Inamoto, who started his professional football career with the Japanese club Gamba Osaka, scored the only goal of the match. The second FIFA World Cup game at the venue was won by Ireland after defeating Saudi Arabia and the third FIFA World Cup match at the Nissan Stadium was won by Ecuador after beating Croatia. The venue also hosted the final of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was won by the national football team of Brazil. On 30 June 2002, they defeated Germany 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup final. 69,000 spectators showed up for the game.
The world championship for football clubs
On 3 December 2002, Real Madrid from Spain faced Club Olimpia from Paraguay in the second decisive world championship game at the Nissan Stadium. A crowd of 66,000 attended the match, which was won by Real Madrid. The Argentine side Boca Juniors won the third decisive world championship game at the Nissan Stadium. They won the title after winning a penalty shoot-out against the Italian side AC Milan on 14 December 2003. On 12 December 2004, the Portuguese side FC Porto won the fourth world decisive championship match at the Nissan Stadium after beating the Colombian side Once Caldas.
The tournament which is now known as the FIFA Club World Cup
In 2005, the Nissan Stadium hosted its first-ever final of the tournament which is now known as the FIFA Club World Cup. The final of the world championship for football clubs was won by the Brazilian side São Paulo Futebol Clube after defeating the English side Liverpool Football Club 1-0. 66,000 people attended the game. São Paulo FC reached the final after winning against Al-Ittihad from Saudi Arabia. Liverpool FC reached the final after defeating Deportivo Saprissa from Costa Rica.
More world championship finals
In 2006, SC Internacional from Brazil won the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup final after beating FC Barcelona at the Nissan Stadium. 67,000 people attended the world championship game. AC Milan, Corinthians, FC Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid also won at least one FIFA Club World Cup title at the Nissan Stadium in the 2000s and the 2010s.
The Rugby World Cup
The national rugby union team of New Zealand, nicknamed All Blacks, won the first-ever Rugby World Cup match at the Nissan Stadium in 2019. South Africa lost the game, which took place in front of a crowd of 63,000. In 1987, New Zealand won the inaugural edition of the Rugby World Cup. The rugby union tournament took place in Australia and New Zealand.
Olympic football
In 2021, the Nissan Stadium hosted various football matches for the world famous Games of the Olympiad, also known as the Summer Olympic Games. The first men’s Olympic football game at the venue was won by the Côte d’Ivoire. The Africans won the game against Saudi Arabia. The Netherlands won the first women’s Olympic football match at the stadium. They defeated China 8-2. The men’s football competition was won by Brazil and the women’s football competition was won by Canada.
The Canon Eagles and the Yokohama F. Marinos
The Yokohama Canon Eagles and the Yokohama F. Marinos both use the Nissan Stadium for home games. The Yokohama F. Marinos football club was founded in 1972 under a different name. The club became one of the first Japanese sports clubs with 100,000 followers on its main social media page. The Yokohama F. Marinos won the Japanese top-flight football league various times. Shunsuke Nakamura is one of the former players of the Marinos. On 13 September 2006, he became the first Japanese football player who scored in the world famous UEFA Champions League. Nakamura scored for the Scottish side Celtic against the English side Manchester United that day. He also scored in his second UEFA Champions League game against Manchester United.
