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The 25 biggest stadiums in world soccer
FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou holds nearly 100,000. Reuters/Albert Gea The 25 biggest stadiums in world soccer have a combined capacity of over 2.15 million.Amongst them are arenas from six different continents — Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. Read below to find out which is the biggest.Read more of our soccer coverage here.Visit…
Reuters/Albert Gea
- The 25 biggest stadiums in world soccer have a combined capacity of over 2.15 million.
- Amongst them are arenas from six different continents — Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa.
- Read below to find out which is the biggest.
- Read more of our soccer coverage here.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
‘The Bird’s Nest’ in Beijing, China holds exactly 80,000 people
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Beijing’s National Stadium was designed and used for the 2008 Olympics, during which it had an extra 11,000 temporary seats on top of its normal capacity. For soccer, it has only been used for a variety of showcase fixtures between big European clubs.
The AT&T Stadium in Texas also has a capacity of 80,000
Tony Gutierrez/AP
Home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, the AT&T Stadium often plays host to soccer matches, most frequently during the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
China’s largest soccer arena is the Guangdong Olympic Stadium, which seats 80,012
Designed by American architectural firm Ellerbe Becket, the stadium in Guangzhou was inspired by the city’s nickname, ‘The Flower City,” and its roof was made to resemble layers of petals. It is currently the home of Guangzhou Evergrande FC.
Situated in Lima, Peru, the Estadio Monumental U can welcome up to 80,093
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Club Universitario de Deportes play its games here, in what is the biggest soccer arena in the whole of South America. The Peru national team have also called it home since 2001, though it hasn’t proven to be a fortress, as the team has won just five times in 18 matches.
Malaysia’s Shah Alam Stadium has 80,372 seats
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The first ever soccer tournament at the Shah Alam was in 1994, when home side Selangor FA competed against Dundee United, Bayern Munich, Leeds United, Flamengo, and Australia’s Olympic team, the “Olyroos.”
The Luzhniki Stadium is the largest soccer ground in Russia, holding 81,004
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First erected in 1956, the Luzhniki has housed two of the 21st century’s biggest soccer events — the 2008 Champions League final, and the 2018 World Cup final.
Real Madrid’s home ground, the Santiago Bernabeu, has a capacity of 81,044
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129,690 fans once flocked to the Bernabeu to see Real Madrid play AC Milan in April 1956, though many of those were in the standing area, which has since been removed.
The Stade De France has 81,338 seats
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France’s national stadium is the only arena in the world to have held both the football and rugby union World Cup finals. The former was in 1998 when France beat Brazil 3-0, and the latter was in 2007 as South Africa defeated England.
Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion can hold as many as 81,365 people
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Also known as the Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund’s home ground is Germany’s largest and is famed for its fierce and vibrant atmosphere, helped in no short part by it selling out every week, according to Stadium Database.
The Washington Redskins’ home ground, the FedExField, seats 82,000
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The ground, which is often used for international soccer matches, downgraded it’s capacity from 91,000 in 2011 due to a lack of demand for tickets, according to The Washington Post.
Croke Park in Ireland has space for 82,300
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Though it was built nearly 60 years ago, it wasn’t until 2007 that anything but Gaelic football or hurling was played at Croke Park. Its first soccer game took place in March of that year when Ireland played Wales in a Euro 2008 qualifier.
The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey has a capacity of 82,550
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The MetLife is the home of both the New York Giants and the New York Jets, hence being most regularly used for American football. It does however host soccer matches from time to time for the USMNT and other South/North American countries.
Stadium Australia can accommodate for 84,000 fans
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Stadium Australia was built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but has since been used for international soccer matches, amongst other things. It’s soon set for a $540 million revamp, after plans to demolish and rebuild were scrapped in 2018, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
India’s Salt Lake Stadium has room to hold 85,000
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Not to be confused with MLS side Salt Lake City, the arena in Kolkata is the biggest of its kind in India, and acts as a home to no less than five teams — East Bengal FC, Mohammedan SC, Mohun Bagan AC, ATK, and the Indian national team.
The Borg El Arab Stadium in Egypt seats 86,000
Associated Press
The El Arab was originally commissioned as part of Egypt’s bid to host the 2010 World Cup, however after the proposal was rejected, it was since become the home of the national football team.
Malaysia’s national stadium is the Bukit Jalil, and it can hold 87,411 people
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Situated in the wealthy suburb of Kuala Lumpur, the spherical arena hosts most of the country’s international football matches, as well as domestic cup finals such as the Malaysia FA Cup.
The famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico seats 87,523
Shutterstock/Ulrike Stein
Currently used by Club America, Cruz Azul and the Mexico national team, the Azteca has housed two of international football’s most memorable ever moments — Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” in 1986, and the “Game of the Century” between Italy and West Germany four years later.
The 90,888 seater Rose Bowl is the largest soccer ground in the United States
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While predominantly used for American football, California’s Rose Bowl regularly hosts international soccer matches, most famously the 1994 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy.
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South Africa’s Soccer City, or the FNB Stadium, has a capacity of 94,736
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Soccer City is more than just a football stadium — it’s a historic landmark. Nelson Mandela gave his first ever speech here after his release from prison in 1990, and it also acted as the venue for his memorial service in 2013.
The Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona, holds 99,354
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Europe’s biggest football stadium is a fitting home for the continent’s most successful team. Since moving to the Camp Nou in 1957, Barcelona has won 66 major honors, including 20 La Liga titles and five UEFA Champions Leagues.
Melbourne Cricket Ground can host as many as 100,028 people
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Unsurprisingly, the Australian stadium is used predominantly for cricket, however it’s also used by the Socceroos — the country’s national football team, and is the home of the Australian Sports Museum.
The Stade des Martyrs in the Democratic Republic of Congo holds an amazing 125,000 people
Reuters/Baz Ratner
The world’s largest soccer venue is situated in DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, and lies just a few miles from the Congo River. Home of the country’s national team, it is named in honor of four Congolese ministers, or “martyrs,” who were hung nearby by former president Mobutu Sese Seko in 1966.
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