The Stade De France

During my maiden road trip on foreign shores back in 2016, one of the stadiums I was keen to see with my own eyes was the Stade De France in Paris (or rather Saint-Denis, where it's technically located, even though you can just about make out the stadium on the horizon from parts of the city).

It was constructed in anticipation of the 1998 World Cup on the basis that it would thereafter become the home of the national team and France got off to the best imaginable start of 'creating memories' at their new home as, inspired by Zinedine Zidane, they smashed Brazil 3-0 in the final to become world champions.

Since then, Real Madrid have won the Champions League here, Barcelona also (beating Arsenal), and there's been endless Coupe De France triumphs and heartbreaks and many international fixtures which will have been forgotten in a matter of days.

This visit was in February 2016 as the stadium was gearing up towards Euro 2016. Memorably, in that competition's final, Portugal triumphed over France in a game where players on both sides had to contend with a swarm of moths because some plonker left the stadium floodlights on through the night, in the 24 hours before the game. A museum with some decent memorabilia is also located within the stadium perimeter - paying homage to some memorable moments that have occurred in the (now 25 or so) years since the Stade De France first opened its doors.

I need to get back here to see a game at some point. I'll do it one day once the current lock-down chaos is over, but for now these are my photo memories of the place...