It mostly hosted football matches and served as the home venue of the Syrian national team in the past.

[citation needed] The stadium was originally opened in 1957 with a capacity of 10,000 spectators, to host football matches and local athletics events.

[citation needed] On the occasion of the 5th Pan Arab Games in 1976,[2] the stadium was renovated and the capacity was expanded up to 40,000 spectators.

[citation needed] On 6 May 2001, Mass was celebrated by Pope John Paul II in the Abbasiyyin Stadium.

[4] The stadium remains unuasable since 2013 with the local media reporting, that it was used as a military training site during the Syrian civil war and heavily damaged by bombs.