Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is the home of SSC Napoli, rising on a hillside in the Fuorigrotta district of Naples, Italy. Opened in December 1959 as the Stadio del Sole, it was renamed Stadio San Paolo in 1963 and took its current name in December 2020, just weeks after the death of Diego Maradona, the club’s most iconic player.
Designed by architects Carlo Cocchia and Luigi Corradi, the stadium underwent a major transformation ahead of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, when it was converted into an all-seater bowl topped by a distinctive polycarbonate roof held up by twenty-eight L-shaped steel pylons. That World Cup run included Italy’s semifinal loss to Maradona’s Argentina, played on the very ground that would one day carry his name.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): SSC Napoli
- Location: Naples, Campania, Italy
- Opened: December 6, 1959
- Renamed: December 4, 2020
- Capacity: about 54,700
- Notable fact: Record attendance of 90,736 for Napoli vs. Juventus, December 15, 1974
From San Paolo to Maradona
For over five decades the stadium was known as Stadio San Paolo, but its identity became inseparable from Diego Maradona, who led Napoli to the first two Serie A titles in club history during his time there in 1987 and 1990. Days after Maradona’s death in November 2020, Naples’ city council voted to rename the ground in his honor, cementing a bond between player and stadium that fans had already treated as fact for decades.
The renaming proved fitting: Napoli went on to win two more Scudetti at the stadium that bears his name, in 2023 and again in 2025, when a 2-0 win over Cagliari sealed the club’s fourth Serie A title in front of a jubilant home crowd. A further round of roughly 20 million euros in upgrades was completed in 2018 and 2019 ahead of the Summer Universiade, refreshing the seating bowl, lighting, and facilities.
Matchday in Fuorigrotta
Set into a natural bowl in the Fuorigrotta district, the stadium’s steep stands push noise down onto the pitch, giving it a reputation as one of Serie A’s louder venues on European nights. The playing surface measures 110 by 68 meters, and the open bowl design leaves the field exposed to the elements beneath the partial roof.
Beyond league fixtures, the stadium hosted five matches during the 1990 World Cup, including Argentina’s semifinal victory over host nation Italy, a game remembered in Naples for the complicated cheers some local fans gave Maradona against the Azzurri.
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Stadio Diego Armando Maradona FAQs
Why was San Paolo renamed to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona?
Naples’ city council renamed the stadium in December 2020, days after Diego Maradona’s death, honoring the player who led Napoli to the first two Serie A titles in club history while based there in 1987 and 1990.
What is the capacity of Stadio Diego Armando Maradona?
The stadium holds about 54,700 spectators in its current all-seater configuration.
How many Serie A titles has Napoli won at this stadium?
Napoli has won all four of its Serie A titles while playing home matches at this ground: 1987 and 1990 under Maradona, then 2023 and 2025, with the 2025 title clinched there in a 2-0 win over Cagliari.
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Photo: Gaetano Capaldo / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.