- Address: Istanbul
- Country: Türkiye
- Capacity: 52,000
- Opened: 15 January 2011
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: Galatasaray (football)
Extra stadium info – Nef Stadyumu
The construction of the Nef Stadyumu started in 2007. The venue hosted its first match of the national football team of Türkiye in August 2011. Türkiye won the game against Estonia 3-0 in front of 25,000 fans. The national football team of Türkiye played their first-ever FIFA World Cup match in 1954. They lost the game, which was played in Bern, in front of a crowd of 28,000. Türkiye won its second FIFA World Cup match 7-0. The game against Korea was played in Geneva.
The 2002 FIFA World Cup
In 2002, the national football team of Türkiye finished below Brazil and above Costa Rica and China in the group stage of their second FIFA World Cup participation. Türkiye reached the semi-finals of the world championship after beating Japan and Senegal. Brazil defeated Türkiye 1-0 in the semi-finals. They won the 2002 FIFA World Cup after beating Germany in the final.
Tenants
Galatasaray, the first Turkish football side with 10 million followers on its main social media page, use the Nef Stadyumu for home games. The club was founded in 1905. Galatasaray became the first Turkish team with 20 top-flight football league titles. They won the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 2000 for the first time in their history. Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup after beating the English side Arsenal and the UEFA Super Cup after defeating the Spanish side Real Madrid.
Galatasaray at the Nef Stadyumu
Galatasaray played their first Turkish top-flight football league match at the stadium on 23 January 2011. 43,000 people attended the game against Sivasspor. Galatasaray won the game 1-0. In March 2011, the Nef Stadyumu recorded 131.76 decibels in a football match between Galatasaray and their rivals Fenerbahçe. It became a Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at a sports venue. Galatasaray Spor Kulübü were crowned Turkish football champions in their first football season at the stadium, which was known as the Türk Telekom Stadyumu before it became the Nef Stadyumu in 2021.
The UEFA Champions League
On 2 October 2012, the venue hosted its first UEFA Champions League match of Galatasaray. SC Braga from the Portuguese Republic won the game in front of 46,000 spectators. That football season, Galatasaray SK reached the quarter-finals of the world famous European football tournament after beating FC Schalke 04 from Germany. They lost the quarter-final game against the Spanish side Real Madrid CF, the first sports club with 100 million followers on its main social media page. Real Madrid also became the first football club with 10 European championship titles after beating Atlético de Madrid in 2014.
