Metropolitano: matchday guide, stands and away section
Metropolitano is the home of Atlético Madrid in Madrid, with a nominal capacity of 70,813 and an opening date of 1994. The stadium opened in 1994 for athletics and was rebuilt as a football ground, reopening with Atlético in September 2017. This guide covers how to reach the ground, the real names of its stands, the away section, the matchday rules, where supporters gather, and tours and tickets.
At a glance
Atlético Madrid have played at Metropolitano since 1994, and the ground is the anchor of the whole matchday: everything in Rosas is organised around the hours either side of kick-off.
Getting there: lines, stations and timings
Routes for Metropolitano, station by station. Madrid Metro — line 7 — Estadio Metropolitano station is right beside the ground. Madrid Metro — lines 2, 5 and 7 — Las Rosas, Canillejas and Las Musas stations are all within a short walk. EMT Madrid buses — Lines 28, 38, 48, 140 and 153 serve the stadium area. From the airport — Barajas is about 30 minutes by metro and bus, with a change in the city.
Public transport is the default here, and the map below sets out the lines and the stations rather than a single route — there is usually more than one sensible way in.
Driving is possible but rarely worth it. Parking near a ground of this size is limited, expensive and slow to leave after the final whistle.
The matchday essentials
- Arrive about an hour before kick-off — Metropolitano is large and the walk from the station is busiest late.
- Your gate matters more than your seat: check it against the stand name on the ticket.
- Take only a small bag; there is no general left luggage at the ground.
- Away supporters enter through the Fondo Norte, upper tier turnstiles only.
- Plan the journey home before you travel: the nearest station queues after the whistle.
The stands, and where to sit
Fondo Norte is the reference point most regulars use when they describe the ground, and the other three stands each have their own character.
If you want volume rather than analysis, head for the goal ends. If you want to watch the way a team builds up, a seat along one of the side stands will always beat a place behind the goal.
As a rule, a seat in the corner between a side stand and a goal end gives you the best compromise: close enough to the singing to feel it, high enough to read the whole pitch.
The away section and its view
Visitors sit in the upper ring of the north end, separated from the home blocks and reached by their own stairways. Spanish league rules set the domestic share; European ties use the competition's allocation.
The visiting allocation at Metropolitano sits in Fondo Norte, upper tier. Because the away section is agreed by competition rather than by a single rule, the size and position can change between a league match and a European night.
The view from Fondo Norte, upper tier is a trade-off: a corner or upper-tier position gives you a clear sightline but puts distance between you and the goalmouth action.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Club | Atlético Madrid |
| City | Madrid, Spain |
| Nominal capacity | 70,813 (Rebuilt 2017 · all-seater) |
| Opened | 1994 · Rosas |
| Stands | Fondo Norte, Lateral Este, Fondo Sur, Lateral Oeste |
| Away allocation | Fondo Norte, upper tier |
Matchday rules: bags, colours, banners and drums
Bag policy is the single most common reason for a delay at the turnstiles. Most grounds in this guide admit only small bags and refuse anything that will not fit under a seat.
Drums and other instruments are the most tightly controlled item on the list. At club grounds they are effectively reserved for the organised groups; in the away section they need prior agreement.
Where supporters gather
For Metropolitano the pattern is this. Las Rosas: The residential neighbourhood right around the ground, with local bars. Canillejas: A short walk away, with a wider spread of cafés and shops. Madrid city centre: Where most visitors stay; the journey out on line 7 takes around 25 minutes.
Las Rosas is where the crowd gathers before kick-off, and it is the quickest way to feel the mood of a fixture on your first visit to Madrid.
For a quieter pre-match, Canillejas is the sensible choice; the streets closest to the turnstiles fill first and empty last.
Tours, tickets and the rest of the visit
The stadium tour covers the dressing rooms, the tunnel, the dugouts and the museum, with the story of Atlético's rebranding of the old athletics ground.
On tickets: buy through the club or the official competition channel. Inflated resale prices are a genuine feature of the biggest fixtures at grounds this size, and they are avoidable.
If you are travelling specifically for the ground rather than the match, midweek league fixtures are usually easier to get into than weekend or European matches.
Matchday questions
How long does it take to get in? Turnstiles typically open between 60 and 90 minutes before kick-off, and the queue peaks in the final half hour. Arriving 45 minutes early is enough at most grounds.
Can I buy on the day? Occasionally, for smaller fixtures. For anything involving a big club or a European tie, assume you need a ticket in advance.
Metropolitano is worth the journey whether or not you have a seat in the best part of the ground. Read the stand names, plan the transport, keep the bag small, and the matchday takes care of itself.