Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Madrid derby on Sunday, September 20, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Alejandro Grimaldo scored a penalty in the 53rd minute after Dean Huijsen was sent off, Jonathan David added a second, and Antonio Rüdiger pulled one back late, according to ESPN’s match report. If the result has you wondering what it takes to see a game there yourself, this is the practical guide.
The stadium in brief
The Metropolitano opened in September 2017 and seats about 70,460, according to Madrid’s tourism board. The address is Avenida de Luis Aragonés, s/n, in the east of the city, and the tourism board notes that it is close to Madrid-Barajas airport. You will still see it called the Wanda Metropolitano in older guides and photos, because the naming rights have changed hands.
By Metro: Line 7
The easiest route is Metro Line 7 to Estadio Metropolitano, a stop about a five-minute walk from the entrance, according to the club’s own directions. Line 7 crosses lines 4, 6 and 9 at Avenida de América, so many central Madrid hotels are one change away. The club says that on matchdays all stations have more trains.
There are two fallbacks if the platform is packed. Las Rosas (Line 2) and Canillejas (Line 5) are each about a quarter of an hour away on foot.
Buses and bikes
On matchdays the city’s EMT bus company runs a special service between the Canillejas transport hub and Plaza de Grecia, in front of the stadium. It starts two hours before the event and runs until an hour and a half after it. Regular routes that stop nearby include lines 28, 38, 48, 140, 153, 167, E2 and SE721, plus the night buses N5 and N6. BiciMAD, the city’s bike-share, has docking stations on Avenida de Arcentales and at Avenida de Niza 67.
Tickets and timing
Buy tickets only through the club’s official channels, and check the kickoff time close to the date, since LaLiga schedules move. Aim to reach the Metro station well before kickoff so that the walk, the security check and finding your gate are not squeezed into the last few minutes.
Visiting without a match
The Atleti Tour & Museum runs on non-match days. The stadium tour takes about an hour and includes the changing rooms, the tunnel, the pitch and a virtual reality stand. The 1,400-square-metre museum covers the club’s history from 1903 and needs about ninety minutes. Madrid’s tourism board lists opening hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. from March 30 to October 12, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from October 13 to March 29. Hours can change on event days, so confirm before you go.
Planning more football travel in Spain? Our LaLiga matchday trip guide covers Camp Nou and Vallecas, and our guide to Betis against Real Madrid at La Cartuja in Seville covers a different city and stadium.
Before you go
Check the club’s “how to get there” page and Metro de Madrid for the latest service notes, because works and matchday changes happen. Then plan the trip back as carefully as the trip there: the Metro is at its busiest right after the whistle, and Las Rosas and Canillejas are the quieter options.
