The stadium opened on 18 April 1976; the first official game held at the stadium was a friendly match between
Sporting and
Benfica, with Sporting winning 4–3. Prior to the official opening game, a friendly tournament was played by representatives of the three local Football Associations in the Azores:
Angra do Heroísmo,
Horta and
Ponta Delgada. The
Portugal national team has already played two matches at the stadium, the last of which was a 2–0 friendly victory over
Egypt, with a sold-out crowd. Renovations to the stadium occurred in the 2008–2009 season, with improved lighting, remodelled seating, new turf and improvements to the rest areas. Renovations and expenditures were also slated for the 2013–2014, that included: improvements and interventions in the lighting towers and requalification of the exterior spaces of the stadium, respectively. The stadium, home to the
Azorean Football Team, was approved by
UEFA in June 2025 with
Category 3 status, thus allowing Santa Clara to play the 2nd and 3rd qualifying rounds and play-offs of the
Conference League at home. However, some work will need to be done on the stadium so that it can be upgraded and approved for the League Phase of European competitions. ==Architecture==