Initially built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics failed bid the stadium's name was recommended by Michel Platini, head of the organizing committee.

It also hosted seven matches at UEFA Euro 2016, including the final, where France lost to Portugal 1–0 in a tense extra time.

With the confirmation of France's choice announced on July 2, 1992, this new all-seater covered stadium was guaranteed and thus broke the country's tradition of not building any new specific structure for a sporting event, as the last one was the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir.

Due to the magnitude and importance of the facility, the Council of State was allowed a first-hand approach to how the stadium would be constructed and paid for.

[citation needed] The stadium was officially ready for construction following the government's selection of manufacturers, Bouygues, Dumez, and SGE, and the signing of building permits on 30 April 1995.

Stade de France has hosted group, quarter-final, semi-final and the final match of 1998 FIFA World Cup.

[8] The national rugby team's first match in the facility was held five days after its opening, on 2 February, with France earning a 24–17 win over England in front of 77,567 spectators.

[11] On 11 February 2012, a Six Nations international rugby game between France and Ireland had to be cancelled just before kick-off due to the pitch freezing as the stadium lacks under-soil heating.

Two small proportion explosions occurred outside the stadium during an international friendly between France and Germany, with French President François Hollande in attendance.

The authorities, aware of what had occurred outside the stadium, chose to continue the match out of concerns that cancelling it would have caused a panic.

[15] In 2016, Stade de France was used as the main stadium for the UEFA Euro 2016, hosting seven matches.

At the end of his set, Guetta invited Swedish singer Zara Larsson on stage to perform the tournament's official song "This One's for You".

The conclusions of the independent review, commissioned by UEFA, found that the early justification from UEFA—that the delay was due to late arriving supporters—was "objectively untrue".

[23] The stadium was notably designed with the assistance of a software simulation of crowd in order to get an accurate observation of how it would look fully developed.

The stadium was built without any undersoil heating as noted when Ireland were due to play France in the Six Nations Tournament rugby union match of 2012, when the game had to be canceled.

In 2002, the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) awarded a prize recognizing the unique structure of the stadium, commenting that Stade de France exhibited "a construction of an attractive open architecture of the city, with an elegance and natural lightness".

It filters out red and infrared radiation, however, it allows blue and green lights, due to their necessity involving the health of the turf.

Access to the middle tier is through 22 bridges and can be found at level 3 with a concentration of restaurants, entertainment areas, shops and central station security.

The evacuation procedures at the Stade de France are initiated about fifteen minutes prior to closing time.

However, the actual time it takes to fully evacuate the stadium can vary depending on the number of attendees and the specific circumstances.

As part of its policy of renewing its infrastructure, Stade de France added two new big screens in September 2006.

It also hosted the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final after being moved from the Gazprom Arena in Russia due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Global acts such as The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Muse, Metallica, Prince, U2, Mylène Farmer, Guns N' Roses, Rihanna, AC/DC, Justin Timberlake, Céline Dion, Tina Turner, Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Madonna, The Police and BTS have performed here.

[41] On 11 April 2015, the crowd noise produced by the 80,000 people at Stade de France during the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue Final reached 109 decibels, which set the world record for the noisiest stadium recorded during a final match of a football tournament.

FFR had to move two of its 2010–11 home Tests to Montpellier and Nantes due to fixture clashes with the national football team.

[45] Also, former FFR president Serge Blanco claimed that the 2009 Top 14 final had to be moved from May to June because of a conflict with a Johnny Hallyday rock concert.

[47] The 82,000-seat stadium, featuring a retractable roof and slide-out pitch, was to be built on a former horse racing track in Évry, about 25 km (16 mi) south of Paris.

The new stadium, estimated to cost €600 million, was originally scheduled to open in 2017,[45] but completion was later pushed back to the 2021/2022 time frame.