Cologne’s youth side attracted an unprecedented audience for a UEFA Youth League fixture, drawing 50,000 spectators for their meeting with Inter Milan.
Cologne’s youth side attracted an unprecedented audience for a UEFA Youth League fixture, drawing 50,000 spectators for their meeting with Inter Milan.
That turnout surpassed the earlier benchmark of 40,368, established when Trabzonspor welcomed Inter in Turkey during April 2025.
Wednesday’s encounter took place at the RheinEnergieStadion, among the Bundesliga’s biggest venues, where every seat had been taken more than seven days before kickoff.
Despite the scale of backing inside the arena, the hosts were unable to convert support into success on the field.
Inter emerged with a 3-1 win, silencing a stadium packed well beyond previous youth competition levels.
The Italian side’s victory ensured the occasion was remembered as much for the outcome as for the extraordinary gathering.
At the first-team level, Cologne currently sits 10th within Germany’s top division.
Their most recent continental appearance came in the 2022-23 campaign, when involvement was limited to the Conference League.
Across the present season, Cologne have recorded the seventh strongest average home following, at roughly 50,000, exceeding figures registered by Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen.
