Stade Vélodrome

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Lore & Background

The first-ever match played at the Stade Vélodrome was a friendly between Marseille and Torino on June 13, 1937, which ended 2–1 to Marseille. The stadium's name comes from its original use for cycling competitions, but as those races became less common, seating replaced the track. The sloped track under the extended seating once acted as a slide for fans to invade the pitch at the end of matches. Olympique de Marseille was long hostile to the Vélodrome, calling it the 'stadium of the City Council'; the real home of OM between the wars was Stade de l'Huveaune. After World War II, Marseille no longer owned Huveaune, and the club returned to the Vélodrome in 1945. Chairman Marcel Leclerc (1965–1972) later oversaw OM's tenure there. During the 1950s and 1960s, OM shared the stadium with the Marseille XIII Rugby League.

In Their Own Story

The record attendance for a club game before the 2014 renovation was 58,897 in a UEFA Cup semi-final against Newcastle United in 2004. Since expansion to 67,394, the record attendance now stands at 66,312 for the match against Montpellier USC on 19 April 2025. The French rugby union team began an impressive run of victories at the stadium in the early 2000s: they defeated New Zealand 42–33 in November 2000, Australia by one point in 2001, South Africa in 2002, and England in 2003. Their run was broken in 2004 when they lost 14–24 to Argentina. On 18 April 2009, Toulon took their Top 14 home fixture against Toulouse to the Vélodrome, drawing 57,039 spectators to see a 14–6 Toulon win that played a key role in their fight against relegation. On 28 May 2022, the Vélodrome hosted the 2022 European Rugby Champions Cup Final between La Rochelle and Leinster in front of 59,682 spectators.

Reader's Guide

The Stade Vélodrome is located four kilometres from the Old Port of Marseille, in the neighbourhoods of Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Giniez in the southern part of the city. It is bound to the south by the Huveaune river and to the north by the Parc Chanot. To its west runs the Boulevard Michelet and to the east the Marseille Palais des Sports and the Delort stadium. The stadium is serviced by the bus and metro networks of the Régie des transports de Marseille, with two metro stations serving the area. The four stands are named after athletes Jean Bouin and Gustave Ganay, historical figure Chevalier Roze, and popular OM supporter Patrice De Peretti (nicknamed 'Depe'), who died suddenly in July 2000. The 20th stage of the 2017 Tour de France, an individual time trial through the streets of Marseille, started and finished in the stadium.

Did You Know?

• The first-ever match at the Stade Vélodrome was a friendly between Marseille and Torino on June 13, 1937, which ended 2–1 to Marseille.

Origins and Architectural Evolution

In 1935, the architectural firm Pollack Ploquin was chosen to build a stadium in Marseille. Henri Ploquin designed the stadium. On 28 April 1935, the foundation stone was laid by Marseille Mayor Ribot on a site between downtown and the suburban areas of St. Giniez and Sainte-Marguerite on military grounds belonging to the city. The Stade Vélodrome opened on 13 June 1937 with a friendly match between Olympique Marseille and Torino FC (2–1 to OM). The first official match took place on 29 August 1937 between OM and Cannes. As its name suggests, the stadium was used for cycling competitions, but as these races became less common, seating replaced the track. In 1970, floodlights were replaced by four 60-meter towers. In March 1971, capacity was increased by nearly 6000 seats with the reduction of the cycling track and removal of the cinder running track, bringing total capacity to 55,000. The cycling track was removed altogether once Bernard Tapie was appointed president of OM in 1985, bringing capacity up to 48,000 and marking the end of the Vélodrome as a multi-use facility.

Global Stage: World Cups and Major Tournaments

The Stade Vélodrome was completely renovated for the 1998 World Cup, with capacity increased from 42,000 to 60,031 seats. It hosted the final draw on 4 December 1997 (the first time the final draw was held in an outdoor venue) and seven matches, including France's first match against South Africa, the quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands, and the semifinal between Brazil and the Netherlands. The stadium hosted six games at UEFA Euro 2016, including a semi-final, becoming the first in Europe to have hosted three European Championship semi-finals after France's previous hosting in 1960 and 1984. It also hosted matches in the 2007 and 2023 Rugby World Cups, and football at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The semifinal between France and Portugal at Euro 1984 set a record for attendance at an international match with 54,848 spectators.

Rugby Heritage and Record-Breaking Crowds

The French rugby union team began an impressive run of victories at the stadium in the early 2000s: they defeated New Zealand 42–33 in November 2000, Australia by one point in 2001, South Africa in 2002, and England in 2003. Their run was broken in 2004 when they lost 14–24 to Argentina. The venue was used by France for a game against New Zealand in November 2009. In 2018, the stadium hosted its first Six Nations match with France hosting Italy. On 18 April 2009, Toulon took their Top 14 home fixture against Toulouse to the Vélodrome, drawing 57,039 spectators to see a 14–6 Toulon win. Toulon has taken two home matches to the Vélodrome in each of the succeeding two seasons. The Vélodrome was also the venue for both semi-finals in the 2010–11 Top 14 season, and was used for the Toulon v Munster semi-final of the 2013–14 Heineken Cup. On 28 May 2022, it hosted the 2022 European Rugby Champions Cup Final between La Rochelle and Leinster in front of 59,682 spectators. On 29 June, it will host the 2024 Top 14 Final due to the Stade de France being unavailable because of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Club Identity and Fan Culture

Olympique de Marseille was long hostile to the Stade Vélodrome, calling it the 'stadium of the City Council'. For fans between the wars, the real home of OM was Stade de l'Huveaune, owned by the club and partly financed by fans in the early 1920s. After World War II, Marseille no longer owned Huveaune. Chairman Marcel Leclerc had OM play at Huveaune from 1945 to 1960. The City Council then relented, and Olympique de Marseille moved to the Vélodrome. During the 1970s, OM shared the stadium with the Marseille XIII Rugby League. The sloped track under the extended seating acted as a slide for fans to invade the pitch at the end of matches. The stadium is home to Olympique de Marseille since it opened in 1937 and is the second largest stadium in France with a capacity of 67,394 spectators.