Cologne youth team break record with 50,000 crowd

Inter Milan's number seven runs with the ball as two Cologne players close him down. Thousands of fans fill two tiers of the ground around the pitch.Getty Images

Cologne fans broke the attendance record but then saw their side lose 3-1 to visitors Inter Milan

Cologne Under-19s have broken the attendance record for a Uefa Youth League match with 50,000 people watching the side take on Inter Milan.

The game in Germany smashed the previous highest crowd, the 40,368 who were present when Turkey's Trabzonspor hosted Italians Inter in April 2025.

Played at Cologne's RheinEnergieStadion - one of the largest stadiums in the Bundesliga - tickets for Wednesday's match sold out more than a week in advance.

The home side's supporters could not inspire them to victory though, with the Italians triumphing 3-1.

Cologne's senior team are 10th in the Bundesliga and last enjoyed European competition in 2022-23 when they competed in the Conference League.

Cologne have enjoyed the seventh highest average home attendance this season (50,000), above the likes of Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen.

Inter Milan's Mattia Mosconi (left) kicks the ball away with his right foot as a Cologne player closes in. Inter are playing in blue-and-black striped shirts with black shorts and socks. Cologne have red-and-white striped shirts with white shorts and socks. Thousands of people can be seen in the stands behind them.Getty Images

Cologne have one of the largest fanbases in Germany and tickets for the game sold out more than a week beforehand

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