Orange Vélodrome

It is the largest club soccer ground in France, with a capacity of 67,394 spectators. The stadium is also used regularly by the French national rugby union team.

The record attendance for a club match before renovation at the Stade Velodrome was 58,897 (for a UEFA Cup semi-final against Newcastle United in 2004). Since the stadium was expanded to 67,394, the record attendance is 65,421 for the match against Lyon on November 10, 2019. The stadium was also used for the 1938 FIFA World Cup in France. The very first match was between Marseille and Turin in 1937.

In the early 2000s, the French rugby team had an impressive winning streak in the stadium. They beat New Zealand 42-33 in November 2000 and in 2001 they beat Australia by one point. They beat South Africa in 2002 and then England in 2003. However, their luck ran out in 2004 when they lost 14-24 to Argentina. France used the venue for a match against New Zealand in November 2009. In 2018, the stadium hosted its first Six Nations match, with France hosting Italy.

France is not the only rugby team to have used the Velodrome in recent years. On April 18, 2009, Toulon won its Top 14 home match against Toulouse at the Velodrome, drawing 57,039 spectators to watch Toulon’s 14-6 victory, which played a key role in Toulon’s successful fight against relegation in the 2008-09 season. Toulon won two home games at the Velodrome in each of the two following seasons. The Velodrome also hosted the two semi-finals of the 2010-11 Top 14 season, and was used for the Toulon – Munster semi-final of the 2013-14 Heineken Cup.