Meet The Top 10 Outstanding & Biggest Stadiums in world football, determine by size and visual appeal.
- Rungrado May Stadium – (North Korea)- 114,000
In terms of football, North Korea may not be as successful as Japan and South Korea, but they do have the world's largest stadium.
According to official information, the stadium was built to serve
many purposes, such as football games, athletics events, and many other
sport games. The Rungrado stadia is also been used to host the mass
Arirang Festival annually, between August or September.
The last time the Mass Arirang Festival was held at the stadium was
in 2018, and in 2017 it also hosted the 2018 Asian Football Championship
(AFC) U23 Championship qualification six group stage matches.
- Camp Nou – (Spain) – 99,354
The Camp Nou meaning the “New Field” in Spanish is the home ground of
one of the finest football clubs, it is rank the second biggest stadium
in the world and largest in Europe. Since the Camp Nou was opened in
1957, it has seen some of the best footballers grace the pitch with
their footballing talents.
The Catalan giant home turf could seat over 99,354 people, and since
it was built for 288 million pesetas it has hosted important sporting
events like the 1992 Olympics game and lot of football finals.
The Camp Nou has been a historical ground that has seen many teams,
who has the opportunity to grace the pitch been beaten blue, black since
the Blaugrana moved from the small Camp de Les Corts their former home
ground to Camp Nou.
- FNB Stadium – (South Africa) – 94,736
The soccer city as refers to by the Kaizer Chiefs fans,
been their home turf is the 12th biggest stadium in the world and the
largest in Africa. The FNB is also where the South African national team
plays almost their international matches.
In preparation for the first-ever World Cup that was hosted by South
Africa, the FNB stadia was renovated in other to meet the standard
quality of a proper hosting stadia in 2010.
The FNB stadia don’t only host football games, it also host other
sporting events such as the rugby union game. It was also known as a
historical ground that hosted the first speech of late Nelson Mandela
immediately after his from prison in 1900.
Ironically it also hosted the memorial service of the great Mandela
in December 2013, following the announcement of his death by Zuma.
- Rose Bowl Stadium – (United States) – 90,888
The United States is synonymous with having some of the biggest
stadiums in sport, most especially in American Football. The Rose Bowl
Stadium is ranked the fourth biggest football ground on earth. Rose Bowl
stadia was opened in 1922, and it was regarded as the California
Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
The stadium cost over $272,198 in construction, and it has since
hosted a lot of important sporting events, such as the FIFA Women’s
World Cup, FIFA World Cup Final, and the Olympic Gold Medal match.
At a modern capacity of all-seated spectators at 92,542, the stadia
stands as the 16th largest stadium in the world, the 11th biggest in the
States, and the 10th largest NCAA stadium.
Rose Bowl is 10 miles northeast of Los Angeles, and it’s also one of the most historic and famous grounds in sporting history.
- Wembley Stadium – (England) – 90,000
Wembley stadium is no doubt the iconic temple of football in England
to all soccer enthusiasts. The largest football stadia in England, fifth
in the world, and second in Europe is a fortress to the English
national team, with 90,000 capacity.
The Wembley stadium was built in 1923 but was renovated in 2007 which
has a timeless design and incorporates every detail needed to make it
the home of football and one of the best in world football.
Since the stadium was built, it has hosted major football matches
including home matches of the Three Lions of England, lots of FA Cup
finals and even more to come.
The temple of football, also host the 2011 and 2013 UEFA Champions
League finals, and it was supposed to host both the semi-final and final
of the UEFA Euro last year, but unfortunately, that didn’t materialize
due to the pandemic.
- Estadio Azteca – (Mexico) – 87,523
The Azteca stadia would forever be remembered for the unforgivable and hurtful memorable goal scored, by the late Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ by the English fans against their national team at Mexico 86 World Cup.
The multi-purpose stadium is located in Mexico City and is the home
of Club America one of the historic football clubs in Mexico and one of
the biggest stadiums in southern/northern America, it also hosts all the
national team matches.
Estadio Azteca is spherical in shape and its capacity is 87,523
having been reduced from its initial 105,000 capacity. One unique thing
about the stadium is that it’s seated over 2000 meters above sea level,
and in that sense, it remains one of the famous stadia in the world.
Estadio Azteca also hosted what was termed the “Game of the Century”
between the Azzurri national team and West Germany in one of the 1970
semi-final matches, and aside from football events that this stadia has
hosted, it has also hosted a lot of political and religious events and
ceremonies.
- Santiago Bernabeu – (Spain) – 85,454
The Santiago Bernabeu is Spain’s second-largest stadium, the third biggest stadium in Europe, and the home of Los Merengues.
It’s was commissioned to be built in 1944, however, it was completed in 1947 and named “Nuevo Estadio Chamartin” after the Spain area capital city where it was built.
The inaugural match at the Bernabeu took place between Real Madrid
and Portuguese side OS Belenenses in 1947, Los Merengues triumphed in
that match with Sabino Baringa becoming the first-ever
goal scorer at the inaugural match. And since the first match on that
ground, the Bernabeu fans have witnessed both the sweet and bitter
moments on the ground.
In 1955 the ground wore a new name, which was named after their
former player and President Santiago Bernabeu. Two years after it was
renamed, Los Blancos enjoyed a run of their five consecutive European
successes, and during all of those times, Alfredo Di Stefano was very
instrumental.
The current capacity of the stadium is at 85,454, although it’s has
been as high as 125,000 in the past, however, with the current
renovation of the stadium going on, we might get to see a more beautiful
and reformed Santiago Bernabeu.
- San Siro – (Italy) – 80,018
The San Siro home both the Milan Clubs respectively, when AC Milan is playing at home the stadia is referred to as San Siro, while for Inter Milan it is called the Giuseppe Meaza. It is the biggest stadium in Italy and also the most famous in the land of Azzurri’s.
Like other famous stadiums in the world, the San Siro has also
witnessed some of the greatest football stars in world football, such as
club legend Marco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, and a lot of great players.
In that sense, with a lot of memorable matches been played at the San
Siro, it makes the ground a historical turf and one of the respected
stadiums in world football.
The capacity of the stadium sits at 80,018 and been one of the oldest
ground in world football, it is rated as a fortress for the Italian
giants. Without mincing word, San Siro is no doubt one of the best
football grounds in the world.
- Maracana Stadium – (Brazil) – 78,838
The Maracana stadium is no doubt a symbolic ground for every
Brazilian player, who has one way or the other grace the pitch through
their club side or the national team. It’s most notable for hosting the
World Cup final between Brazil and Uruguay, even though the host nation
lost to the Uruguayan national team and a lot of other mouthwatering
matches in the past.
The stadia is named after Rio Maracana, a now canalized river in Rio
de Janeiro, it’s also often been selected for two Brazilian clubs
Flamengo and Fluminense respectively, and it’s official capacity now
stands at 78,838 having been reduced from its initial capacity when it
was built in 1950.
Just like other stadiums, the Maracana has also hosted a number of
concerts and other sporting events, which includes the 1980 and 1983
Volleyball matches between Brazil and USSR, the Pan American Games, and
the opening and closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics plus the
Summer Paralympic in the same year.
- Allianz Arena- (Germany) – 75,024
Allianz Arena, home of the Bundesliga champions Germany sits with
70,000 seating capacity for international matches and 75,000 for
domestic matches.
Widely known for its exterior of inflated ETFE plastic panels, it lay
claim to being the Bundesliga’s and one of the world’s most unique
thanks to the thousands of inflated plastic ‘cushions’ that make up its
instantly recognizable facade. It is the second-largest arena in Germany
behind Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.
FC Bayern Munich has played its home games at the Allianz Arena since
the start of the 2005–06 season. The club had previously played their
home games at the Munich Olympic Stadium since 1972. 1860 Munich
previously had a 50% share in the stadium, but Bayern Munich purchased
their shares for €11 million in April 2006 due to 1860 Munich suffering
from financial issues.
- Estadio Wanda Metropolitano – (Spain) – 68,456
The Wanda is the new home turf of Los Rojiblancos having left their
former home ground the Vincente De Calderon, and is no doubt one of the
most aesthetically pleasing stadia in the globe for now.
It’s was opened in 2017 when it was completed with 68,456 capacity,
and it has since hosted quite a number of matches. When it was first
opened in 2017, it comfortably rivals Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu in
terms of aesthetics and electrifying atmosphere.
The fans are right now not allowed into the stadia due to the virus,
however, when the coast is clear and fans finally have access to the
stand to support their darling team, it would also open doors for
tourists in other for the club to enjoy more revenue.
