Few buildings in sport carry as much meaning as Wembley. For a century it has been the place where cup finals are won and lost, where England play their biggest matches and where some of the most famous moments in football history have unfolded.
The Empire Stadium
Wembley was built in north-west London as the centrepiece of the British Empire Exhibition and opened in 1923 as the Empire Stadium. Its first FA Cup final, between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United, became known as the "White Horse Final" after a mounted policeman helped clear a vast crowd from the pitch. From then on, the FA Cup final had a permanent home.
The stadium's two white Twin Towers became one of the most recognisable sights in world sport. Players spoke of walking up the famous 39 steps to the royal box to collect the trophy as the greatest moment of their careers.
A stage for the world
Wembley hosted the 1948 Olympic Games, the first held after the Second World War. In 1966 it staged the World Cup final, when England beat West Germany 4–2 after extra time. Two years later, Manchester United became the first English club to win the European Cup there, beating Benfica 4–1.
Liverpool won the European Cup at Wembley in 1978, and Barcelona lifted the trophy there for the first time in 1992. Away from football, the stadium hosted the Live Aid concert in 1985. In 1996, during the European Championship, England's run to the semi-finals turned Wembley into the centre of a national celebration.
Farewell to the Twin Towers
By the 1990s the old stadium was showing its age. Its final match came in October 2000, when England lost 1–0 to Germany in a World Cup qualifier. The stadium was demolished, and the Twin Towers — which many people had hoped to save — came down with it.
The new Wembley
The new stadium opened in 2007 on the same site. With 90,000 seats it is the largest stadium in the United Kingdom, and its giant arch, 133 metres high, is visible across much of London. Its first FA Cup final was won by Chelsea, who beat Manchester United 1–0 thanks to a Didier Drogba goal in extra time.
Since then the new Wembley has hosted Champions League finals, the final of the delayed Euro 2020, played in 2021, and the 2022 Women's European Championship final, when England's Lionesses beat Germany in front of a record crowd.
More than a stadium
Wembley's appeal lies in what it represents. For a player from a small club, simply reaching a final there can be the highlight of a lifetime. For supporters, a trip to Wembley is a pilgrimage. The building has changed, but the feeling it creates has not.