Råsunda Stadium

Råsunda Stadium stood in Solna, a municipality just north of Stockholm. It was Sweden’s national football stadium, named after the district where it was built. Before the present stadium opened in 1937, smaller grounds had existed on the same site since 1910. The first match in 1937 saw AIK beat Malmö FF four goals to nil, with Axel Nilsson scoring the opening goal. At its peak the stadium held between 35,000 and 36,608 spectators depending on the event. It served as the home ground for AIK and hosted many local derbies between Stockholm clubs. Råsunda was also the headquarters of the Swedish Football Association. Each year the national team played about three-quarters of its home matches there, with the rest taking place at Ullevi in Gothenburg. The record crowd of 52,943 gathered on 26 September 1965 when Sweden met West Germany. Queen closed their Magic Tour at Råsunda on 7 June 1986 in front of roughly 37,500 fans. The stadium holds a unique place in World Cup history as the first venue to host both the men’s and women’s finals. Visitors to the site today find a modern residential area replacing the old stands. A small memorial marks the former pitch location near the centre of Solna. The area remains a focus for local football memories, with plaques recalling the stadium’s role in the 1958 and 1995 World Cup finals. The surrounding streets preserve the name Råsundavägen, keeping the memory of the stadium alive.