A new San Siro is on the horizon, with Milan’s two giants on the cusp of upgrading the iconic stadium.
Ranked at no.10 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best stadiums in the world, the venue is an icon of Italy, standing out on the horizon for its distinctive slatted roof and turrets – but as the old ground approaches its 100th birthday this December, time is running out to see a game there.
With plans a-foot for a new San Siro, the future of both Milan and Inter Milan is about to look very different.
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Why are Milan and Inter building a new stadium?
The San Siro is almost 100 years old
Why is a new San Siro going to be built? And will both Milan and Inter Milan play there?
In September 2025, the Milan City Council sold the San Siro and its surrounding area to the Milan clubs: up until then, the two rivals weren’t able to enjoy some of the financial benefits that come from having one of the most recognisable venues in European football.
Money is the biggest factor when it comes to a new stadium – which, again, both clubs are set to share – and not just in terms of getting more fans through the turnstiles.
A new future beckons for Milan and Inter (Image credit: Getty Images)
Modernising the matchday experience at a new ground would create more hospitality options, introduce more premium seating, and create the possibility for more non-football events, such as concerts.
There’s also the possibility of naming rights, too, to bring in an extra buck: plenty of stadiums in Europe now have sponsorship but given that neither club owned the San Siro until recently, it wasn’t possible up until now.
A new San Siro would have a massive impact on European football, too: Italian football doesn’t really have a top-class, modern equivalent to Wembley in London, the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid or the Allianz Arena in Munich. Italy last hosted a UEFA final over 10 years ago – and bringing the San Siro into the 21st Century would open more opportunity to do so again in the near future.
Then there’s the urban regeneration of the local area. Just as Tottenham Hotspur have looked to make N17 a hub beyond just a football ground, Milan and Inter could both benefit from more shops, restaurants and public spaces on the site of the ground, increasing their revenue further.
But beyond all of that, this is also a chance to improve the ground for die-hard fans of both clubs. The San Siro has closed its upper tier due to safety concerns – much to the annoyance of fans – while the comfort, accessibility and closeness to the pitch could no doubt be improved.
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Location
The new San Siro will be on the same site
Where will the new San Siro be built?
The new San Siro will be built on the same site.
It’s unknown right now whether it will be a like-for-like replacement over the ground itself, whether it will change direction – like Tottenham’s ground – or whether it’ll be built next to the original ground.
Will Milan and Inter have to move while the San Siro is being rebuilt? If so, where?
It’s not known yet whether the two Milan giants will still be able to play in Milan while the new ground is being redeveloped.
The two nearest top-flight stadiums that the pair could temporarily play are Atalanta’s Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia (24,950 seats) and Como’s Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia (13,602 seats).
Name and opening
Barcelona sold their stadium naming rights (Image credit: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
What will the new San Siro be called?
In 2019, designs for a stadium tentatively named Nuovo Stadio Milano were released.
Though these plans were shelved, it gives an indication that both clubs would seemingly be open to ditching both the ‘San Siro’ name and the ground’s proper name, ‘Stadio Giuseppe Meazza’ – but realistically, the ground would likely take on a sponsor’s name (like Juventus’s Allianz Stadium) and still be known by fans as… the San Siro.
When will the new San Siro open?
The new San Siro could potentially open in 2030.
With the ground hosting the 2026 Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony, any work on the current San Siro would have to start after that, with a a planned completion inauguration in 2030.
Capacity
Milan fans in the Curva Sud at the San Siro (Image credit: Alamy)
What will be the capacity of the new San Siro?
The new San Siro is set to be a 71,500-seater venue, after the two clubs submitted a feasibility plan.
This is a reduction from the 80,018 that the San Siro currently holds, and even the limited capacity of 75,817 – but both clubs will hope that an improvement in the experience, including new opportunities for hospitality – will increase the matchday revenue substantially, despite the drop in attendance.
Design
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‘The Rings of Milano’ design(Image credit: Milan / Inter)‘The Cathedral’ design(Image credit: Milan / Inter)
What will the new San Siro look like?
It’s unknown what the stadium will look like right now.
The two big design points of the current San Siro are the famous red roof and the turret walkways: but given previous designs for a new ground in Milan, it’s not certain that a new San Siro will incorporate either of those points.
In 2019, Milan and Inter revealed two shortlisted designs for their new home, but those two plans were for a 60,000-seater ground and won’t be used this time, with a new architect on board.
Foster + Partners – the firm behind Wembley Stadium and Lusail Stadium – have been selected to work alongside Manica on the design of a new stadium.
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