Vicente Calderón turns 60: the eternal Atlético Madrid stadium and its most magical nights

This Friday, October 2, 2026, the Vicente Calderón would have turned 60. Exactly six decades after the ground opened its gates, still unfinished, for a morning league match against Valencia. That 1-1 draw, with goals from Luis Aragonés and Paquito, marked the start of half a century of life in a stadium that built Atlético Madrid's greatness and remains untouched in the hearts of its supporters.

• The stadium opened on October 2, 1966 with a 1-1 draw between Atlético Madrid and Valencia, with goals from Luis Aragonés and Paquito.
• It was Atlético Madrid's home for 51 years, until the final match played on May 21, 2017.
• The ground hosted the 1975 Intercontinental Cup triumph after overturning the deficit against Independiente, as well as the 1996 league and cup double.
• Diego Simeone began a golden era in December 2011 that led the club to two Champions League finals.
• The stadium has been demolished, and the site now holds a park, residential buildings and an enduring memory.

An unfinished opening and the first match against Valencia

The Vicente Calderón opened its doors before construction work was fully complete. The official debut came on a morning in the fourth round of the league season, with Valencia as the visitors. Two very different figures found the net: Luis Aragonés, an absolute club legend, and Paquito, who scored for the away side. The 1-1 draw delivered Atlético's first point at a ground destined to become far more than a simple sporting venue.

The European nights that made the Calderón eternal

The 1970s produced some of the most cherished memories for Atlético supporters. In 1974 the team reached the European Cup final with a generation widely considered among the best in its history. In the semi-finals of that campaign, Celtic arrived on the banks of the Manzanares with Jimmy Johnstone, the bald winger famous for his dazzling dribbling. Adelardo erased him from the pitch with a remarkable marking job, after a bruising first leg in Scotland filled with crunching tackles, red cards and an enormous appetite for revenge in Madrid.

A year later, the stadium witnessed the conquest of the world club title. In the second leg of the Intercontinental Cup, Atlético had to overturn a 1-0 defeat in Argentina against Independiente. Goals from Irureta and Ayala turned the tie around and the trophy stayed home, with the Calderón packed to the rafters.

Youth academy, star signings and the 1996 double

The 1980s were defined by a reliance on homegrown talent during financially difficult years. The Madrileño academy produced the likes of Tomás, Marina, Pedraza, Julio Prieto and Clemente Villaverde, players who carried the team through lean times. Stars also arrived, including Hugo Sánchez and Alemao, while Paulo Futre became the headline electoral weapon that helped Jesús Gil win the club presidency in 1987.

The following decade delivered one of the greatest joys in recent history: the league and cup double of 1996 under Radomir Antic. That starting eleven is still recited from memory around the Manzanares: Molina; Geli, Santi, Solozábal, Toni; Caminero, Vizcaíno, Simeone, Pantic; Kiko and Penev. Yet the 90s also left deep wounds, from judicial intervention and the controversial conversion into a public limited sports company to relegation to the second division, confirmed in 2000.

From Fernando Torres to the Simeone era: the final stretch

After climbing back from the hell of the second tier, the Calderón witnessed the emergence of the club's third great homegrown icon after Collar and Aguilera: Fernando Torres. Still a teenager, he carried the team on his back and restored hope to a fanbase that had suffered for years. His departure to Liverpool was pushed by the club itself and followed too many broken promises, though by then Atlético had already regained its footing in European competition.

In December 2011 Diego Simeone took over on the bench and launched a golden era that continues to this day. Until 2017, when the club left the Manzanares, the Calderón celebrated several trophies and witnessed two Champions League finals. The last official home match was played on May 21 of that year, an emotionally charged farewell.

What remains of the Vicente Calderón today

The stadium no longer stands. It was demolished, and the plot that served as the home of every Atlético supporter for 51 years now hosts residential buildings and a park. But no fan has forgotten that ground by the river. No one truly disappears as long as they remain alive in the memory and hearts of those who loved them, and the Vicente Calderón, sixty years on, remains eternal.