Construction of National Stadium begins – To be completed by December 1, 2026

The setting of the ball signed by legendary football players, but also the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, symbolically marked the beginning of the construction of the National Stadium in Surcin.

Along with the president of Serbia, the ball was signed as set as the foundation stone by the president of the Football Association of Serbia, Dragan Dzajic, the ambassador of China to Serbia, Li Ming, the minister of finance, Sinisa Mali, the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and the minister of sport of Serbia, Zoran Gajic.

The president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, stated that the National Stadium needed to be completed by December 1, 2026, and that it had been agreed for the Europa League final to be played there in 2028. He added that it would be one of the three most beautiful stadiums in Europe.

While taking a tour of the preparatory works on the construction of the EXPO 2027 and the new stadium, he said that the stadium took up 121 hectares of land and that it would require the installation of 2,400 piles.

It will have around 52,000 seats and be built in line with all the FIFA and UEFA standards. As the Beta news agency reported, it will be built according to a design by the Spain-based architect Mark Fenwick, and local construction companies have been hired for the construction.

Vucic said that the construction of the National Stadium was also made possible thanks to the help of China, whose companies had taken over companies with big losses in Serbia – the Smederevo steel mill and RTB Bor:

– I thank the Chinese companies which have hired a large number of Serbian companies for the construction of the facilities for EXPO 2027.

The ambassador of China to Serbia, Li Ming, said that he was convinced that, for Serbia, EXPO would bring three million tourists, investments and new possibilities for the development of the relations of China and Serbia.

– In the past years, China has acquired rich experience in organizing international events and we are ready to cooperate with Serbian partners on realizing that project. At the same time, we invite our companies to show their advantages in building such projects and cooperate with the Serbian side – said Ming.

The president of Serbia also said that the citizens would decide on the name of the stadium.

According to him, with his team, he has seen all the stadiums in Europe and this will be one of the three best looking ones.

The minister of finance of Serbia, Sinisa Mali, said that they had had to elevate the terrain by three meters and that 20,000 tons of steel would be built into the stadium.

– Today is a big day for football. Today is a day when we should all be happy. We will get a grand edifice which, in this moment and in the coming period, will be the most beautiful, or among the three most beautiful stadiums in Europe – stated the president of the Football Association of Serbia, Dragan Dzajic, and added:

– It is up to us who are active in football and who love football to make it happen that good results are achieved on that stadium and to have our national team play well, qualify for the biggest world tournaments and to have this stadium which is under construction always be full and give full support to the national team of Serbia.

Fudbalski savez Srbije

Ambasada NR Kine Beograd

Ministarstvo finansija Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo sporta Republike Srbije

Aleksandar Vučić

Dragan Džajić

Li Ming

Siniša Mali

Milorad Dodik

Zoran Gajić

Mark Fenwick

National Stadium

EXPO 2027

construction of National Stadium

2028 Europa League final