Rio Ave

The Estadio do Rio Ave Futebol Clube is the home of Rio Ave FC, located at Rua Dona Maria Paes Ribeiro in Vila do Conde, a coastal municipality in the Porto district of northern Portugal, at the mouth of the Ave river on the Atlantic coast. The stadium holds 12,815 spectators and has served the club for many decades, providing a consistent top-flight venue in one of Portugal's most football-passionate regions. Vila do Conde is a historic fishing and lacemaking town with a medieval castle and Dominican monastery, and the stadium sits within this traditional Portuguese coastal community.

Rio Ave FC have established themselves as a consistent Primeira Liga presence and have achieved notable European participation, competing in the UEFA Europa League and reaching the play-off rounds of the UEFA Champions League qualifying in 2020 - a remarkable achievement for a club from a town of approximately 70,000 people. The club has produced and developed talented players who progressed to major Portuguese and European clubs, and their tight financial management and clear sporting philosophy have made them one of Portuguese football's most respected smaller clubs.

The Estadio do Rio Ave's compact design creates an intimate and passionate atmosphere for Primeira Liga matches, with the club's loyal Minho coastline support base filling the ground for important fixtures. The stadium has benefited from progressive improvements over the years, with facilities upgraded to maintain Primeira Liga standards. Rio Ave's position at the mouth of the Ave river, close to the historic city of Guimaraes and within the metropolitan influence of Porto, gives the club a strategic location in the heartland of northern Portuguese football culture, and the stadium serves as the proud anchor of professional football for the Vila do Conde community.