The King Baudouin Stadium, formerly known as Heysel, is located in northwestern Brussels and serves as the main stadium for the Belgian national football team. Its official opening took place on August 23, 1930, to commemorate the centenary of the country's independence, with Prince Leopold in attendance. Originally known as the Jubilee Stadium, it was built on the Heysel plateau specifically for the 1935 Belgian International Exhibition, accommodating up to 70,000 spectators.
In 1946, the arena was renamed Heysel Stadium. Over the course of its history, the stadium has hosted the finals of such prestigious tournaments as the European Champions Cup (in 1958, 1966, 1974, and 1985) and the Cup Winners' Cup (in 1964, 1976, 1980, and 1996). Its highest crowdβ66,000βwas recorded in 1958. A key event was the 1972 European Football Championship final, when West Germany defeated the USSR 3-0.
In 1995, the stadium was completely renovated and renamed in honor of King Baudouin I. The renovation cost approximately $50 million, and the new version of the stadium was unveiled to the public on August 23 of that year. Its capacity was reduced to 50,000 spectators.
On June 10, 2000, the stadium hosted the opening match of Euro 2000 between Belgium and Sweden. The stadium also hosted all of Belgium's matches in the tournament, including one quarterfinal and a semifinal.
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