The AIL Arena hosted its first official football match. Just a few days after the Opening Weekend, during which the new stadium had opened its doors to the public, the bianconeri’s home ground hosted its first sporting event: the match between Switzerland and Malta, a qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
In front of 7,526 spectators, the Swiss women’s national team inaugurated the new stadium with a convincing 6-1 victory over Malta. The team coached by Rafel Navarro had already taken control of the match in the first half with goals from Sydney Schertenleib, Seraina Piubel, Riola Xhemaili and Aurélie Csillag. In between, in the 21st minute, came Malta’s goal by Kailey Willis.
In the second half, Switzerland managed their lead and sealed the result with goals from Géraldine Reuteler and Xhemaili’s second of the match, rounding off an important evening for their international campaign.
Beyond the result, the match represented a significant moment for the city of Lugano and for Swiss football. The women’s national team returned to Italian-speaking Switzerland twenty years after their last visit, choosing the AIL Arena for a match that combined the Swiss national team’s campaign with the sporting debut of the new stadium.
With the support of the crowd, the atmosphere of a major occasion and a goal-filled match, the AIL Arena got its footballing journey off to the best possible start. Following the initial warm welcome from the local community during the opening weekend, the bianconeri’s new home celebrated its official debut with an evening destined to go down in the history of the city’s sport.
