- Address: Westgate Street, Cardiff
- Country: United Kingdom
- Capacity: 73,000
- Opened: 26 June 1999
- Main use: Rugby union
- Tenants:
Extra stadium info – Principality Stadium
The construction of the venue started in 1997 and its construction costs were £121 million. The stadium opened as the Millennium Stadium. It became the largest sports venue by capacity in Wales. The Principality Stadium is known as a venue for several events, like boxing, concerts, equestrianism, football, motorcycle speedway, rugby league and rugby union. It also hosted World Rally Championship races. The motorcycle racing legend Valentino Rossi, the first professional racer with 10 million followers on his main social media page, featured in several World Rally Championship races.
Rugby union
The Principality Stadium opened with a rugby union match, which was won by Wales after beating South Africa 29-19. The stadium hosted its first Rugby World Cup match in 1999, when the national rugby union team of Wales defeated the Argentine Republic 23-18 in front of 72,000 fans. The venue hosted seven Rugby World Cup games in 1999. It also hosted the final of the tournament, which was won by Australia after defeating the French Republic 35-12. Australia won their second Rugby World Cup title at the Principality Stadium. In 1991, they won their first Rugby World Cup title after beating England in London.
Olympic football and the 2017 UEFA Champions League final
In 2012, the venue hosted Olympic football matches. The Principality Stadium hosted its first-ever UEFA Champions League final in 2017. It was the first UEFA Champions League final under a closed roof. The Spanish side Real Madrid won the game after defeating the Italian side Juventus. A crowd of 65,000 showed up for the match. Real Madrid CF won their 12th European championship title after winning against Juventus FC. Real Madrid became the first sports club with 100 million followers on its main social media page.
The national football team of Wales
The national football team of Wales played numerous matches at the Principality Stadium. They played their first-ever FIFA World Cup matches in Sweden in 1958. Wales faced Hungary, Sweden and the United Mexican States in the group stage of the 1958 FIFA World Cup. They played their first FIFA World Cup game against Hungary. It ended in a 1-1 draw. 15,000 spectators showed up for the match. The national football team of Brazil defeated Wales 1-0 in the quarter-finals of the world championship. The football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, commonly known as Pelé, scored the only goal of the match.
