San Siro has lived through a century of waiting: for goals, trophies, concerts, shows and, beyond football, the Olympics. Milan is now entering another period of anticipation, this time for the image of the stadium intended to succeed the Meazza while preserving its place in the city’s sporting life.
Inter and Milan are expected to reveal the first detailed visual concept for the new ground between the end of October and the beginning of November. The presentation is set to give supporters and residents their first substantial view of a project that has so far been defined more by deadlines, procedures and capacity figures than by its final appearance.
A new stadium beside the old one
The clubs, which have owned the stadium since last November, have announced a planned capacity of 71,500 seats, including more than 13,000 premium places. They have not yet publicly shown the full design.
Foster + Partners and Manica are continuing work on the proposal. Foster + Partners previously worked on the redevelopment of Wembley, and the new Milan project is expected to draw some inspiration from that landmark while retaining elements linked to the existing Meazza.
The plan is for Inter and Milan to remain at San Siro while the replacement venue is constructed nearby. Only after that stage would the current stadium undergo partial demolition. The wider redevelopment is valued by the clubs at €2.149 billion.
Euro 2032 sets the pace
The central date is Euro 2032, which Italy will host alongside Turkey. UEFA’s timetable requires the new stadium to be ready in 2031, one year before the tournament. Any significant delay could put Milan’s place among the host cities at risk.
Mayor Beppe Sala has called on the clubs to publish the new stadium renderings soon and to provide assurance that the venue will be completed in time for the European Championship.
- Stadio San Siro Spa submitted its implementation plan on 16 March.
- The Municipality of Milan opened its review and began the strategic environmental assessment.
- The project must then pass through examination of its technical and economic feasibility, followed by a regional environmental impact assessment and a Conference of Services.
- The municipality and the Lombardy region aim to complete the required procedures by summer 2027.
- Construction work is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027, after the football season has ended.
- The Patroclo tunnel must be relocated as part of the connected redevelopment works.
- The new stadium is due for completion in 2031, before the partial removal of the Meazza.
Early signs around the Meazza
The transformation has already begun in modest but visible ways. In June, the South ticket office, a surviving feature from Italia ’90, was demolished as an initial preparatory measure. Parking provision around the stadium is also expected to reduce progressively, making metro travel increasingly important for match-going supporters.
There remains a legal stage to clear. A number of appeals brought by local committees are awaiting a ruling from the regional administrative court in the coming weeks. Yet Milan and Inter, backed respectively by RedBird and Oaktree, are continuing with the project rather than slowing their preparations.
For the two clubs, the coming presentation will matter beyond architecture. It is the moment when a long-running stadium discussion must become something tangible: a successor rising beside the old San Siro, with the 2032 deadline already shaping every decision.
