San Siro takes final spotlight at Milan-Cortina 2026 opening ceremony | OneFootball

San Siro marks its centenary year by hosting the Milan-Cortina 2026 opening ceremony on Friday at 20:00, a final spotlight before it is demolished.

L'Équipe reports that organisers took control on 23 January, after Inter beat Pisa 6-2. Inaugurated on 19 September 1926, the arena famed for AC Milan and Inter has seen temporary structures go up outside.

Inter unveiled a fourth shirt. Coach Cristian Chivu carried the flame on Thursday, as Massimiliano Allegri did three weeks earlier. Franco Baresi, Beppe Bergomi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are due to take part today.

Beyond football it has hosted two rugby matches, including Italy’s 6-20 loss to the All Blacks in 2009, plus boxing, and it staged the 1990 World Cup opening. Now restricted to Milan, Inter and the Nazionale, it no longer meets Champions League final standards after finals in 1965, 1970, 2001 and 2016, and UEFA later withdrew the 2027 showpiece over ageing elements at the city-owned venue.

With renovation ruled out, a new stadium of about 70,000 will be built opposite and must be ready for Euro 2032, which Italy will co-host with Türkiye. The current ground will then be demolished, echoing the nearby sports hall made unusable by 1985 snow damage. Despite 10,000 unsold tickets tonight, Inter v Juventus on 14 February is sold out and the closing ceremony will be at Verona’s Arena.

Source: L'Équipe