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Puskás Aréna today

Stadium · Hungary · Still standing

Puskás Aréna

Puskás Aréna is a modern, purpose-built football stadium in the 14th district (Zugló) of Budapest, Hungary, opened in 2019. It functions as Hungary's national stadium and replaces the earlier Ferenc Puskás Stadium, presenting a continuous circular spectator bowl beneath a wide metal ring roof with a large central oculus.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

2017

Its prime

2019

Today

Still standing

As it stood in 2019

What Puskás Aréna looked like in its prime.

A vast elliptical bowl capped by a broad metallic ring roof with a large open circular oculus at the centre; the exterior is a continuous belt of vertical bays and tall rectangular panelled piers with recessed entry ramps and lattice-faced panels. The palette is predominantly greys and silvers in metal and concrete, set on a wide paved plaza with low retaining walls and city buildings beyond. The seating bowl rises steeply inside beneath the overhanging roof.

Its story

The story of Puskás Aréna.

Replacing the Népstadion, 2016–2019

The Puskás Aréna stands on the site of the former Ferenc Puskás Stadium, itself built as the Népstadion in the early 1950s and renamed in 2002. Demolition of the old stadium was completed in October 2016, and the new arena's playing surface was laid out so that its centre circle fell, to the millimetre, on the same spot as its predecessor's. Concrete from the demolished Népstadion structure was crushed and built into the walls of the new stadium. Construction began in 2017 and finished before the end of 2019, giving Hungary an all-seater ground with a capacity of 67,215; the last seats were mounted by 2 October that year. The architect of record was György Skardelli, who had earlier designed the neighbouring László Papp Budapest Sports Arena.

A Budget from 35 Billion to 190 Billion Forint

When first budgeted in 2011, the new national stadium was costed at 35 billion Hungarian forints. By June 2014 the government's own estimate had risen to 90–100 billion, and in February 2017 the minister overseeing the project, János Lázár, announced the cost would reach 190 billion forints (about €610 million) — more than double the earlier estimate and, by contemporary comparison, well above similarly sized stadiums such as Munich's Allianz Arena or Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.

Skardelli's original 2014 design, with an elevated running track overlooking the pitch and views over the city skyline, was voted the best design by the stadium-industry site Stadiumdb.com. As costs climbed, two rounds of cuts stripped the athletics track from the plan and left a football-focused bowl, part of a wider push by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government to build a separate athletics stadium for Budapest in support of a future Olympic bid.

Opening Night Against Uruguay, 15 November 2019

The arena opened on 15 November 2019 with a friendly against Uruguay, an opponent invited on the suggestion of Károly Jankovics, leader of the Hungarian community in Montevideo. Every ticket sold out, with sales restricted for the first three days to members of the Hungarian Football Federation's supporters' club. Zoltán Gera, expected to bow out in what was billed as his farewell international, said his fitness would not allow him to play and sat the match out. Uruguay won 2–1, with Edinson Cavani scoring the new stadium's first goal and Ádám Szalai the first for Hungary. The ceremonial kick-off was taken by the former Soviet international Nikita Simonyan, who as a player had featured in the Népstadion's own opening match in 1953 and scored its first official goal.

Euro 2020, a European Final and a 2025 Fire

UEFA named Budapest a host city for the 2020 European Championship on 19 September 2014, awarding the stadium three group-stage matches and a round of 16 tie. In 2020 it staged the UEFA Super Cup after the fixture was moved from Estádio do Dragão in Porto because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on 31 May 2023 it hosted the UEFA Europa League final, in which Sevilla beat Roma 4–1 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. On 4 February 2025 a fire broke out in the stadium's ventilation system on the sixth floor; twenty-five fire engines attended and put it out.

Named, like its demolished predecessor, after the former Hungary captain Ferenc Puskás (1927–2006), the stadium is owned by the Hungarian Football Federation and serves as the national team's primary home ground. It offers only around 500 on-site parking spaces, so visitors are directed toward public transport, and all catering inside is cashless, accepting only contactless cards or NFC payment.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 2019.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Puskás Aréna, including 4 interiors: visitors' centre entrance lobby, on the pitch at centre circle, lower-tier sideline seats near midfield and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

Frontal approach across the main plazaClose-up of façade bays and piersMain entrance staircase and portalVisitors' Centre entrance lobbyOn the pitch at centre circleLower-tier sideline seats near midfieldUpper-tier vantage looking over the bowl

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Nearby

Castles within reach of Puskás Aréna.

Explore the city

Puskás Aréna stands in historic Budapest, explore the whole city through the ages

Explore historic Budapest through the ages · All landmarks of Hungary · Landmarks of Europe · Castles of Europe · explore the finished reconstructions.