1 Wembley Stadium
Location: London, England
Opened: 2007
Seating Capacity: 90,000
Construction Cost: £789 million in 2007
Wembley is an iconic destination for football fans in England. There was a lot of scepticism when the English Football Association decided to take down the Wembley, which is regarded as the home of football, in favour of a new ground. This new stadium opened in 2007 at a whopping cost of almost £800 million. This would translate into a figure of £1.3 billion in current values.
Despite the extravagant cost, the Wembley justified its image as one of the premier football destinations. It is the home of the England national team and it is one of the top destinations where international games are played. However, the increased construction costs forced the England FA to allow games from different competitions to take place. As a result, the Wembley now hosts games from the League Cup, FA Cup, and many other lower league competitions. It is also the destination where many event concerts are held. An iconic symbol of the ground is the huge semi-circle that can be seen from a distance.
The stadium also manages to host 90,000 under a roof – making it the largest of its category. The Wembley has already hosted major games like the Champions League final in its modern history.
If you’re reading this from the UK, you likely know many of the facts already mentioned. Being one of the largest stadiums in the world, Wembley is just an unmissable venue, and as it happens, this stadium will play host to many important Euros games this year. It truly is a spectacle to look at, and if you’re living in the UK, it’s well worth a trip.
2 Camp Nou, Spain
The Camp Nou is Europe’s largest football stadium(Capacity: 98,757) and is home to one of the great football teams. Barcelona’s motto “mes que un club” (more than a club) is iconic throughout the footballing world, and their stadium is a huge part of everything Barcelona stands for.
The capacity of the Camp Nou once eclipsed 120,000 for the 1982 World Cup finals, but due to changes in laws regarding standing in stadiums, it has now been reduced.
3 Estadio Alberto J. Armando (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Tenants: Boca Juniors
Opened: 1940
Capacity: 49,000
It may not be as large as Argentina’s national football stadium, Estadio Monumental, but the ground known as La Bombanera—the chocolate box, because of its structure—is certainly the most famous.
Home to Argentinian giants Boca Juniors, the design of the stadium—with a “flat” stand on one side of the pitch and three deep stands around the rest—La Bombanera place as one of the most iconic stands in world football is secure.
The “flat” stand is said to shake when the diehard Boca fans are at their very loudest.
4 RUNGRADO 1ST OF MAY STADIUM – NORTH KOREA
Build Cost – Unknown
In the 1990s it was claimed that the former Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il, picked up a golf club for the very first time at the opening of the Pyongyang Golf Complex. It contains North Korea’s only 18-hole golf course that has a par of 72. The Supreme Leader went on to shoot an incredible 38-under-par round of 34, of which eleven shots were holes-in-one.
Now far be it for us to suggest that the North Koreans make things up, but that does seem a slightly unlikely result for someone who has never played golf before to manage. As such, it’s entirely possible that the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium actually only has seating for about 150 people and the rest is made to appear larger thanks to an intelligent use of mirrors.
That’s probably not true, of course and the claim of a 150,000 capacity is a totally genuine one. As it’s located in the notoriously secretive North Korea details about the venue are difficult to come by, but what we do know is that it is, nominally, used for football matches for the likes of the North Korean national team. Mostly, though, it’s used to host things like the Arirang Festival, a gymnastics and artistic performance event. In the 1990s some members of the North Korean army who has been implicated in an attempt to assassinate Kim Jong-il were executed in a mass burning inside the ground, which is cheery.
The stadium’s capacity has remained steady ever since it opened, but the ground itself underwent a bit of a renovation between 2013 and 2015. As well as hosting the male and female North Korean football teams and the annual Arirang Festival, the stadium is also the start and end point of the Pyongyang Marathon.
5 Allianz Arena, Germany
The constructed Allianz Arena is the home of both Munich-based soccer clubs: Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich. The Allianz Arena is the sole arena in Europe. that can change the colors to state which team are in action – red to represent Bayern and blue to represent 1860 Munich.
This stadium is a big popular with both sets’ supporters. Because the fans are closer to the field, something that created a problem for the previous stadium. The Olympiastadion had an athletic track that ran around the pitch, which resulted in a very sour atmosphere.
6 Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground might sound a bit unfamiliar to football fans but it is one of the most iconic stadiums in the world. The stadium has a capacity of more than one lakh people and it also hosts multiple sports including cricket and football.
Despite being a cricket ground it has been used for football activities as it hosts Australian Football League matches. Olympics, Commonwealth Games and Cricket World Cup have been held here while the Australian national football team also played some of the world cup qualifiers at this stadium.
7 Floating Stadium, Singapore
Built in 2007, it is officially recognized as the largest floating stadium in the world. Floating Stadium is probably the most expensive stadium in the world as it is a floating platform anchored to the shore with use of three link-ways. Not to mention the cost of balls lost in the Marina Bay water. The Floating Stadium can carry the weight of around 9000 fans.
8 The Maracana
Capacity: 78,838
Tenants: Brazil, Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo
The Maracana is truly one of the greatest venues in the football world. Located in Rio de Janeiro, the iconic stadium is one of only 2 stadiums in history to have hosted two FIFA World Cup finals. As the largest stadium in Brazil, it is utilized by several domestic teams. The Maracana also hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. However, this venue is most well-known for the 1950 FIFA World Cup Final, in which Uruguay pulled off one of the greatest upsets in history by defeating Brazil. The historic match recorded almost 200,000 people in attendance.
Also Read: 10 biggest football stadiums in the world – and we bet you haven’t heard of most of them
9 Estadio Azteca – 87,523
Opened: 1966
Construction cost: MXN 260 million
Capacity: 87,523
Location: Tlalpan, Mexico City
Tenants: Club América
The Estadio Azteca is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mexico City. It is the largest football stadium in Mexico, having a capacity of 87,523 seats.
The Azteca has been home to Mexican and North American soccer giants Club América since its completion in 1966. It is also home to Liga MX side Cruz Azul, Mexican Men’s National Team and a venue for the American NFL International Series.
The Estadio Azteca is one of the most famous and iconic football stadiums globally, sitting at 2,200 m (7,200 feet) above sea level.
The stadium was the venue for the 1970 and 1986 World Cup Finals. It was also the main venue for soccer matches during the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1971 Women’s World Cup.
Mexico is another music and entertainment hub in North America. Since 1983, major music concerts and Tours that sell out have been hosted at the Estadio Azteca.
10 Michigan Stadium, USA – 107,601
The Michigan Stadium in the United States, with a seating capacity of 107,601, is second on the list of the biggest football stadiums in the world.
Located in Ann Arbor, the sporting facility is the main American football stadium for the University of Michigan but also hosts football and ice hockey and lacrosse matches.
Nicknamed ‘The Big House,’ the Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 and underwent renovation in 2010, adding more than 40,000 seats to its original capacity of 72,000
The 2014 International Champions Cup match between Real Madrid and Manchester United saw 109,318 attend the game, which is a record for a football game in the USA.