The magic of football has left the world awestruck from ages and the charm of the game is still continuing to spread and grow among the young people. A great game is always played at a good ground and Stadium. So, there is a constant need for bigger and better football stadiums in the world.
There are various large and beautiful football stadiums in the world. So, if you do not know, please have a look at the following list of stadiums and find the details over there. Here is the list of the best football stadiums in the world.
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Best Football Stadiums In The World
Estadio Da Luz, Portugal
The stadium was inaugurated on 25th October 2003. This building replaced the original stadium which had a seating capacity of more than 1,00,000 which was now reduced to 65,000. Portugal hosts a number of football clubs and various important matches are held at this stadium. These matches include various international matches also.
This stadium is mainly known for its architectural design. The stadium is designed to focus on light and transparency by architect Damon Lavelle. The polycarbonate roof allows sunlight to penetrate the stadium and illuminate it. The roof is supported by tie-beams of four steel arches and seems like it is floating on the tribunals beneath. The arches are more than 40 meters high and give a definite look at the architectural design of the stadium.
Various notable matches have been played at this stadium. The inaugural match was between Benfica, Portugal, and Uruguay football club Nacional.
Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland
This stadium is home to one of the most powerful football clubs in world history, the Rangers FC. The stadium was inaugurated in the year 1899 and has stood the test of time and weather.
The stadium was renovated in the years 1902 and 1971 after major disasters. In 1929 a new main stand was developed on the south side of the ground after the Rangers won their first double. The stadium has a capacity of around 50,000 and has an intimidating architecture. Although the stadium is old it is still a favorite place for the Rangers FC fans.
Azadi Stadium, (Tehran, Iran)
Azadi Stadium is the home stadium of the Iran National Football Team. The stadium was inaugurated in 1971 by the then Shah of Iran. It has a sitting capacity of more than 90000 people making its position in the top 30 biggest football stadiums in the world.
The architecture of the Stadium is such that the noise gets amplified on the other end making it difficult for the opposite team to play and hence is also one of the most intimidating stadiums. The record attendance at Azadi Stadium is more than 1,28,000 people during the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Australia.
San Siro, Italy
Yes, you have correctly guessed. The stadium is located in Milan, Italy, and has a seating capacity of more than 80,000 people. The stadium is actually known as the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium after one of the great Milanese football players and is located in the San Siro district of Milan. The stadium is constructed in such a way that a spectator gets maximum visibility from wherever he is seated. It is a UEFA category four stadium.
The stadium has hosted matches for International tournaments like 1934 and 1990 FIFA World Cup matches and UEFA 1980 matches and has also witnessed one of the greatest football rivalries. The renovations that were done to make the stadium UEFA category four stadium made it an all-seater stadium. The opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics of Milan will also be hosted at the same Stadium.
Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy
Allianz Stadium is an all-seater football stadium located in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and is the home of Juventus FC. It is built on the grounds of Stadio Delle Alpi, the former home of Torino FC and Juventus FC. The stadium was opened for the public in the year 2011 and has a capacity of 41.000 people at a time. The stadium hosted the 2014 UEFA Europa League finals on its grounds. This is the first-ever stadium that was built keeping in mind the environmental safety factors and lots of precautions were taken to do so.
The constructed-in such a manner that it reduces the energy consumption from non-renewable energy sources and uses solar energy with the help of solar energy panels to generate greater part of the energy and electricity that is required for the smooth running of the stadium.
The services and facilities included over here are Juventus Premier Club, 70 minutes guided tour to the forest, a shopping center, a J-Museum and a J-Medical center.
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, UK
It was inaugurated in 1884 and is home to Liverpool FC. The stadium has a seating capacity of more than 54,074 people making Anfield the seventh-largest stadium in Europe and one of the top 10 best football stadiums in the world. This stadium has always been a favorite among football fans and has a very lively and electric atmosphere during football matches.
A due tribute is given to the two most successful managers of Liverpool FC. The two of the four gates of the stadium are named behind them. The Paisley gateway is a tribute to Bob Paisley who guided Liverpool to victory in three European titles and six league championships and the Shankly gateway is a tribute to Bill Shankley, Bob Paisley’s predecessor who guided Liverpool to victory in three League Championship and UEFA Cup.
In 2002 Liverpool FC made a plan to demolish Anfield and build a new stadium at Stanley Park with better seating capacity and other amenities. The proposed capacity of the other stadium was 61,000 people. But, the plans did not work out and in 2010 Liverpool was acquired by the Fenway Sports group and it was decided that Anfield will be renovated and will still be home to Liverpool for years to come.
Estadio Centenario (Montevideo, Uruguay)
The stadium is home to the Uruguayan National team and was built in the year 1930 in a record time of 9 months. The stadium was built with the purpose of hosting the 1930 Inaugural FIFA world cup. It hosted the first FIFA world cup final match. FIFA declared it as one of the world’s classic football stadiums.
The seating capacity of the stadium is 65,000 plus. In 1983 FIFA declared it as the only historical monument of world football. The final match of the inaugural world cup was played between Uruguay and Argentina. Uruguay won this match by 4-2.
The Maracana (Rio de Janeiro)
The Maracana is officially known as Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is a football stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The stadium is built in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has a seating capacity of about 78,858. 1950 FIFA World Cup was hosted over here and during the decisive match between Brazil and Uruguay, this stadium saw a staggering audience of 1,99,854.
The match has gone down in history as one of the classic football matches played in the world. At that time it was the world’s largest stadium by capacity. But, after its renovation, the seating capacity was reduced. The opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics were also held over here.
Santiago Bernabeu, Spain
This Stadium is the world’s seventh-best football stadium and is home to Europe’s highly successful club, Real Madrid. It has hosted the finals of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League on four occasions 1957, 1969, 1980, and 2010. The 1964 finals for European Nations Cup and the 1982 FIFA world cup finals were both held at this stadium making it the first football stadium to host finals for both the big tournaments. The stadium has a seating capacity of 81,044 and has been renovated twice in 1982 and in 2001.
Many great players of football have made this stadium their home. These players are Ferenc Puskas, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Christiano Ronaldo, and more recently the world’s most expensive football player Gareth Bale. Santiago Bernabeu has always been a stadium of choice for hosting great football tournaments and will continue to be so in the future also.
FNB Stadium (First National Bank Stadium)
FNB Stadium is also known as Soccer City or Calabash and is the home to the Kaizer Chiefs FC, which is also the South African National Football team. It was opened to the public in 1989. The seating capacity of this stadium is 94,736 and it is known as Calabash because of its resemblance to African pot. The 2010 FIFA World Cup final was also held over here.
Azteca, Mexico
Officially known as Estadio, Azteca, this stadium is located in Mexico City. It is home to the football club Club America and the Mexican National Football team. The stadium is located at an altitude of 7200 feet above sea level and has a seating capacity of more than 80,000 people. It is the largest stadium in Mexico and one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world having hosted two FIFA world cup finals in 1970 and 1986. The stadium was also the venue for hosting the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1971 Women’s World Cup.
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Camp Nou Spain was made open for the public in the year 1957 and it is home to the Barcelona FC team. The seating capacity of this stadium has varied throughout the years with an opening at 1,06,000, which expanded to 1,21,401 for the FIFA world cup and now stands at 99,354.
It is the largest stadium in Spain and Europe. It is the fourth largest stadium in the world and has hosted two European Champions League Finals, two UEFA Championship finals, and the 1982 FIFA world cup. Some of the greatest football players like Lionel Messi have played on this football ground. The stadium was renovated thrice in 1995, 2008, and 2018.
The Old Trafford, Manchester United
This is a football stadium with a seating capacity of 74,879 and is home to Manchester United. It is the second-largest football stadium in the United Kingdom and the eleventh largest in Europe. The club was opened to the public in the year 1910 and is also given the nickname “Theatre of Dreams “ by Bobby Charlton, one of the great football players of his time. The stadium suffered great damage due to bombing in the second world war. Old Trafford has hosted various national and international football matches and tournaments.
The pitch of the Old Trafford is surrounded by four covered all-seater stands which are the North Stand or Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, South Stand or Sir Bobby Charlton stand, West stand or Stretford end and East stand or Scoreboard End.
The Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich
Built-in the year 2002, this stadium has a seating capacity of 75,000 and is the only stadium that has an exterior that can change color. The stadium is located in Munich, Germany. FC Bayern Munich plays their home matches in this stadium. It is the third-largest stadium in Germany and gives a magnificent view when lit at night.
Wembley Football Stadium, England
Wembley Football Stadium was reopened in 2007 at the same place where the previous Wembley stadium was located. It is home to English football and the most iconic stadium in world football. The stadium has the most electric and full of energy atmosphere when football matches take place over here.
It has held many prestigious football events in European and world history. In the new architectural design, the twin towers of the old building were replaced by a magnificent Wembley arch. The stadium was made open for the public in the year 2007 and currently has a seating capacity of 90,000.
And here is our selection of best football stadiums in the world. If you know of more do let us know in the comment section.