The increasingly important needs in energy associated with the political will to reduce the pollutant emissions for the environment have favoured the development of fuel cells. Among the different fuel cell types, the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) appears as one of the most promising with regard to its fuel flexibility and high efficient power generation. However, its high operating temperature (700-1000degreesC) imposes severe restrictions on materials. Degradation of fuel cell performance occurs over a period of time and is related to the deterioration of material properties and interfacial reactions between the different fuel cell components. It can be regarded as the main technical limitation in SOFC technology. This paper, essentially based on recent studies, presents a brief overview of the requirements of the major SOFC components, the stability of the currently used materials and the developments of new suitable materials in order to provide the control of performance and durability of SOFCs.