Napoli was in need of a new stadium to replace the
Stadio Partenopeo following its destruction in 1942 during the
bombing of Naples. They were playing at an undersized venue nearby, which had a capacity of only about 12,000.
Fuorigrotta, a rapidly developing suburb to the west, was chosen as the site for the new stadium. Construction began on 27 April 1952 on what would become an open-air stadium made of reinforced concrete, designed to hold approximately 90,000 spectators — most of them standing. The laying of the first
cornerstone was attended by then-Prime Minister,
Alcide De Gasperi. Construction was prolonged, lasting seven years. It opened as
Stadio del Sole ("Stadium of the Sun") on 6 December 1959, with Napoli defeating rivals
Juventus 2–1. It was renamed to
Stadio San Paolo four years later for
Paul the Apostle, who arrived in the area by sea some 2,000 years ago. It held this name for 61 years before its renaming, and many fans still call it some form of
San Paolo to this day. On 15 December 1974, Napoli broke the record for the most spectators in attendance for a home match, with 90,736 people in attendance. celebrating in 1987. The stadium's first renovations were done for the
1980 UEFA European Football Championships, which saw the addition of modern technology such as an electronic scoreboard and a new floodlight system. About a decade later, the stadium then underwent a slight transformation for the
1990 FIFA World Cup, when it was fully converted to an all-seater stadium. This brought the seating capacity down to about 76,000 people. Underground parking was also added during this time, but logistical issues prevented it from ever opening. After the World Cup, a decline of over two decades struck the stadium. The structure showed signs of age, as the concrete began to peel and the roof started to leak. Fans complained of broken seats, which led to the closure of entire sections and more reductions in seating capacity. Furthermore, the overall lack of modern accommodations for players, fans, and press alike was enough for FIFA to rank the stadium poorly during this time. The city of Naples actually owned the stadium, and so politics and funding issues were sometimes to blame for upgrades being delayed or cancelled. Napoli, who paid rent to the city, found themselves in a financial crisis prior to going bankrupt in 2004. The stadium continued to decay in the following years. Its long-awaited break came between 2018–2019, when €20 million in renovations were made ahead of the
XXX Summer Universiade. The locker rooms and press areas were modernized, and improved lighting was installed stadium-wide. The aging seats were replaced with wider seats, and
jumbotrons were added in the upper seating areas. Metal railings were also replaced with glass barriers. These additions reduced the stadium's seating capacity once again — from 60,240 to 54,726. On 4 December 2020, the stadium was officially renamed to
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after the former Napoli player's death. On 26 July 2025, Napoli stated that they would build a new stadium instead of renovating the stadium after it was dropped from hosting
UEFA Euro 2032. Redevelopment of the stadium site was approved in February 2026. == Sporting events ==