Estádio da Luz (1954)

Since the club's formation in 1904, Benfica had played mostly in rented fields, including the Terras do Desembargador, Campo da Feiteira, Campo de Sete Rios, Campo de Benfica, and the Estádio do Campo Grande, which was built on land rented from historic rivals Sporting CP. The Estádio das Amoreiras, a 20,000-capacity stadium that belonged to the club, was demolished in 1940 to make way for a freeway. After a long process of negotiation with the municipality of Lisbon, it was established on 17 May 1946 that the club would leave the rented stadium and return to the Benfica neighbourhood, with the then Minister of Public Works famously declaring, 'Benfica is from Benfica and that's where it should return to.' An adequate terrain with good accessibility and room for future expansion was identified in the north-east end of the Benfica neighbourhood, at the limit between the Benfica and Carnide neighbourhoods, leading to the stadium's initial unofficial name, 'Estádio de Carnide.' The plans for the sports complex had been sketched as early as the late 1940s by João Simões, a former player for the club. Driven by club president Joaquim Ferreira Bogalho, the associates coped with an increased fee to support the building costs, offered large donations, and some even worked on the building yard on holidays and weekends, in what became known as a 'cement campaign' whereby large quantities of cement bags were offered to the club. The works officially started on 14 June 1953, and less than two years later, on 1 December 1954, a national holiday, a 40,000-capacity crowd filled the stadium for the inaugural match against rivals Porto, at a cost of 12,037,683 escudos. The stadium initially had a capacity of 40,000 on two continuous tiers, but the continued success of Benfica during the 1950s and especially the 1960s, the 'golden years,' made capacity increases inevitable. The first stage of the famous third tier, the 'Terceiro Anel,' was completed in 1960, increasing capacity to 70,000, with floodlighting introduced two years before. The third tier was completed in 1985, setting the official capacity at 120,000, making it the largest stadium in Europe and the third largest in the world. Since there were no individual seats, this number was surpassed on occasion, with the 4 January 1987 championship match against Porto having an estimated attendance of 135,000 to 140,000, and the final of the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship between Portugal and Brazil having an official attendance of 127,000. The stadium was converted to an all-seater in 1994, reducing capacity to 78,000. The stadium hosted some of the most important matches in Portuguese and European football, including the 1992 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, the second leg of the 1983 UEFA Cup Final, and the 1962 Intercontinental Cup, in which Benfica defeated Pele's Santos 5-2 in the second leg but lost 8-4 on aggregate. After the difficult period experienced in the 1990s, both in results and finances, the club had to consider how to cope with the successful bid the Portuguese Football Federation made to host UEFA Euro 2004. At first, it was suggested the old stadium could undergo renovation, but it was ultimately decided to demolish it and build a new, modern stadium for Euro 2004. The final match at the old stadium was played on 22 March 2003, and demolition began in 2003, with the new Estádio da Luz built near the same area and opened in 2003.

Estádio da Luz was known as 'A Catedral' (The Cathedral) and 'O Inferno da Luz' (The Hell of Light) for its intimidating atmosphere and massive scale. At its peak capacity of 120,000, it was the largest stadium in Europe and the third largest in the world, a remarkable achievement for a club-owned venue. The stadium's record attendance was estimated at 135,000 to 140,000 for a championship match against Porto on 4 January 1987, a figure that would be impossible in modern all-seater stadiums. The stadium was built through a remarkable community effort, with club associates paying increased fees, offering large donations, and some even working on the building yard on holidays and weekends, in what became known as a 'cement campaign' whereby large quantities of cement bags were offered to the club. The stadium was designed by João Simões, a former player for the club, making it a truly in-house creation. The stadium's famous third tier, the 'Terceiro Anel,' was built in stages, with the first stage completed in 1960 and the full tier in 1985, reflecting the club's growing ambitions and success. The stadium hosted the 1962 Intercontinental Cup, in which Benfica defeated Pele's Santos 5-2 in the second leg, though they lost 8-4 on aggregate. The stadium also hosted the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship final between Portugal and Brazil, with an official attendance of 127,000, one of the largest crowds in youth football history. The stadium was the site of the 1992 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, won by Barcelona. The stadium was converted to an all-seater in 1994, reducing capacity from 120,000 to 78,000, reflecting the changing times and safety requirements in football. The stadium was demolished in 2003 to make way for the new Estádio da Luz, built for UEFA Euro 2004, with the new stadium opening the same year and preserving the name and legacy of its legendary predecessor.