Ever imagined which stadium is possibly the biggest soccer stadium, the finest, and why soccer clubs or countries invest astronomic fees on their ground?
In soccer, where passion and excitement are inextricably laced, the stadiums where the game is played hold a special and treasured place in the hearts of fans. These grand stadiums not only act as the stage for footballing greatness but also represent the very soul and grandeur of the beautiful game.
The size, seating capacity, and visual appeal of a stadium can greatly impact how we perceive the game.
From the deafening cheers of the crowd to the breathtaking views, every aspect of a stadium can envelop us in a feeling of being part of an extraordinary event.
Each stadium is unique and important to the culture of their home nation.
First Published on Jan 17, 2021, and updated on 10 Sept 2023
- 10 Soccer Biggest Stadiums, Determine By Size & Visual Appeal
- 1. Rungrado May Stadium – (North Korea)- 114,000
- 2. Michigan Stadium (USA) – 107,601
- 3. Camp Nou – (Spain) – 99,354
- 4. FNB Stadium – (South Africa) – 94,736
- 5. Rose Bowl Stadium – (United States) – 90,888
- 6. Wembley Stadium – (England) – 90,000
- 7. Estadio Azteca – (Mexico) – 87,523
- 8. Bukit Jalil National Stadium (Malaysia)- 87,411
- 9. Borg El Arab Stadium (Egypt) – 86,000
- 10. Santiago Bernabeu – (Spain) – 85,454
- 11. Signal Iduna Park (Germany) – 81,365
- 12. San Siro – (Italy) – 80,018
- 13. Maracana Stadium – (Brazil) – 78,838
- 14. Allianz Arena- (Germany) – 75,024
- 15. Estadio Wanda Metropolitano – (Spain) – 68,456
10 Soccer Biggest Stadiums, Determine By Size & Visual Appeal
| Stadium Name | City | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Rungrado 1st of May Stadium | Pyongyang | 150,000 |
| Michigan Stadium | Michigan | 107,601 |
| Camp Nou | Barcelona | 99,354 |
| First National Bank Stadium | Johannesburg | 94,736 |
| Rose Bowl Stadium | United States | 90,888 |
| Wembley Stadium | England | 90,000 |
| Estadio Azteca | Mexico | 87,523 |
| Bukit Jalil National Stadium | Malaysia | 87,411 |
| Borg El Arab Stadium | Egypt | 86,000 |
| Santiago Bernabeu | Spain | 85,454 |
1. Rungrado May Stadium – (North Korea)- 114,000
North Korea may not be as popular as much as Japan and South Korea in terms of football, yet they have the biggest stadium in the world.
The stadium located in Pyongyang was opened in 1989 and has a seating capacity of 150,000 however right now it can only seat 114,000 people.
According to official information, the stadium was built to serve many purposes, such as football games, athletics events, and many other sports games. The Rungrado stadia is also been used to host the mass Arirang Festival annually, between August and 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.
2. Michigan Stadium (USA) – 107,601
The Michigan Stadium, located in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan, is the second-biggest soccer stadium in the world, affectionately known as “The Big House.”
Built in 1927, the stadium initially had a seating capacity of 72,000.
However, in 2010, it underwent renovations that increased its seating by 40,000. While its official capacity is 107,601, it achieved a record attendance of 115,109 during a 2013 football game between the University of Michigan and the University of Notre Dame.
Michigan Stadium majorly serves as the home field for the University of Michigan’s American football team.
It also hosts lacrosse, NHL, and International Champions Cup (ICC) football matches.
3. Camp Nou – (Spain) – 99,354
Camp Nou meaning the “New Field” in Spanish is the home ground of one of the finest football clubs, It is ranked the second biggest stadium in the world and the largest in Europe. Since 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 a lot of football finals.
Camp Nou has been a historical ground that has seen many teams, who have the opportunity to grace the pitch being beaten blue, and black since the Blaugrana moved from the small Camp de Les Corts their former home ground to Camp Nou.
4. FNB Stadium – (South Africa) – 94,736
The soccer city as referred to by the Kaizer Chiefs fans, has 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 all their international matches.
In preparation for the first-ever World Cup that was hosted by South Africa, the FNB stadia were renovated in other to meet the standard quality of proper hosting stadia in 2010.
The FNB stadium doesn’t only host football games, it also hosts other sporting events such as the rugby union game. It was also known as a historical ground that hosted the first speech of the 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.
5. Rose Bowl Stadium – (United States) – 90,888
The United States is synonymous with having some of the biggest stadiums in sports, most especially in American Football. The Rose Bowl Stadium is ranked the fourth biggest football ground on earth. Rose Bowl stadium 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 stadium 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.
6. Wembley Stadium – (England) – 90,000
Wembley Stadium is no doubt the iconic temple of football in England to all soccer enthusiasts. The largest soccer stadium in England, fifth in the world, and second in Europe is a fortress to the English national team, with a 90,000 capacity.
The Wembley Soccer Stadium was built in 1923 but was renovated in 2007 it 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 hosted 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.
7. Estadio Azteca – (Mexico) – 87,523
The Azteca stadium 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 2,000 meters above sea level, and in that sense, it remains one of the most famous and biggest soccer stadiums 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.
8. Bukit Jalil National Stadium (Malaysia)- 87,411
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium, also known as Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil in Malay, is situated in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Having a remarkable capacity of 87,411, this stadium holds the record of being the largest in Southeast Asia, the second largest in Asia, and the eighth largest in the world.
The stadium was officially inaugurated on July 11, 1998, by then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, in preparation for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, where it hosted the opening ceremony.
Since then, it has served as the main venue for various international multi-sport events, including the 2001 Southeast Asian Games and the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
Also, it has become the preferred location for many Malaysian international football matches, national-level football competition finals such as the Malaysia FA Cup and Malaysia Cup, athletic events, and music concerts.
9. Borg El Arab Stadium (Egypt) – 86,000
The Borg El Arab Stadium, also known as El-Geish Stadium, is in Alexandria, Egypt, a port city by the Mediterranean Sea.
It’s one of the world’s largest football stadiums, with 86,000 seats. Built for Egypt’s bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it opened in 2006.
Outside Alexandria, the stadium has a big parking lot for 5,000 cars and 200 buses.
It has 136 electronic entrances that can handle 800 people per minute. This huge stadium also has 39 cafeterias and an on-site hotel that can house up to 200 guests!
10. 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 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 85,454, although it 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.
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11. Signal Iduna Park (Germany) – 81,365
The Borussia Dortmund stadium, often known as the Westfalenstadion by those who prefer not to use its sponsored name, is the beloved home of the Bundesliga giants. It can officially accommodate 81,365 fans during domestic matches.
The stadium’s standout feature is the awe-inspiring ‘Yellow Wall,’ a massive stand that can hold up to 25,000 passionate Dortmund supporters.
This grandstand is the largest of its kind in Europe and is known for its enthusiastic crowd.
Originally opened in 1974, the stadium has seen numerous upgrades over the years.
The most recent overhaul, completed in 2006 at a cost of €200 million, coincided with the World Cup and further enhanced the venue’s reputation.
12. San Siro – (Italy) – 80,018
The San Siro is home to both the Milan Clubs, When AC Milan is playing at home the stadium 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.
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 being 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 is one of the oldest grounds in world football, it is rated as a fortress for the Italian giants. San Siro is no doubt one of the best football grounds in the world.
13. Maracana Stadium – (Brazil) – 78,838
The Maracana stadium is no doubt a symbolic ground for every Brazilian player, who has one way or another graced 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 its 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 include the 1980 and 1983 Volleyball matches between Brazil and the USSR, the Pan American Games, and the opening and closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics plus the Summer Paralympic in the same year.
14. Allianz Arena- (Germany) – 75,024
Allianz Arena, home of the Bundesliga champions Germany sits with a 70,000 seating capacity for international matches and 75,000 for domestic matches.
Widely known for its exterior of inflated ETFE plastic panels, it lays 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 its 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.
15. 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 was opened in 2017 when it was completed with a 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 stadium 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 order for the club to enjoy more revenue.
Honorable Mention
- Bukit Jalil National Stadium
- Borg El-Arab Stadium
- Gelora Bung Karno Stadium
- Signal Iduna Park – (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
- Emirates Stadium – (Arsenal, England)
- Old Trafford – (Manchester United, England)
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