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The beautiful game of football is played around the world in some of the most stunning and picturesque stadiums.
While some of them are modern-day architectural marvels, others like the Hasteinsvollur stadium in Iceland, which has a volcano in its backdrop, or the Rheinpark Arena in Liechtenstein, which has the majestic Alps in its background, have been left virtually untouched.
Ten most beautiful football stadiums in the world
Football is primarily an outdoor sport but sometimes, it is also played in 'indoor' multi-purpose arenas that have retractable roofs like the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany or the Sapporo Dome in Sapporo, Japan.
On that note, let us have a look at ten of the most beautiful football stadiums in the world in no particular order.
#10 Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany)
Home team(s): Bayern Munich
Stadium capacity: ~75,000
The Allianz Arena, home of Bavarian giants Bayern Munich since the 2005-06 season, is the second-largest football stadium in Germany, with a capacity to house 75,000 spectators.
The stadium, which is renowned for its exterior of inflated ETFE plastic panels that can be lit up in various shades of white, red or blue, is the first in the world to have a full colour-changing exterior.
On a clear night, the lit-up Allianz Arena, designed by Swiss architect firm Herzog and de Meuron, can be reportedly spotted from Austrian mountain tops about 80 km away.
The Allianz Arena hosted six matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 UEFA Champions League final where Bayern Munich were beaten by Chelsea.
#9 San Siro (Milan, Italy)
Home team(s): AC Milan, Inter Milan
Stadium capacity: ~80,000
The San Siro, also known as the Estadio Giuseppe Meazza, is one of the oldest and largest football stadiums in the world. Milan giants AC Milan and Inter Milan call the San Siro their home.
Originally built in 1926, the stadium has been renovated four times and in 1980, was renamed after two-time FIFA World Cup winner Giuseppe Meazza, one of the most distinguished Italian football players who played for both AC and Inter. Initially designed to host 35,000 spectators, the San Siro can house upto 80,000 spectators now.
Among some prominent games played in the stadium, the San Siro played host to three matches in the 1934 FIFA World Cup, six in the 1990 edition of the tournament and three Euro' 80 matches. Being a multi-purpose arena, the San Siro has also hosted numerous concerts.
There are, however, plans of demolishing the old San Siro and building a state-of-the-art new Siro adjacent to it.
#8 Maracana (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Home team(s): Vasco, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense
Stadium capacity: ~79,000
The Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, officially called the Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho, is one of the most historic football stadiums in the world.
Opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, almost 200,000 (199,584 to be exact) fans attended the 'final' of that tournament as Brazil were beaten 1-2 by Uruguay. Sixty-four years later, for the 2014 edition of the quadrennial tournament, the Maracana's capacity was reduced to house over 78,000 spectators.
The stadium, which hosts the home games of four Brazilian clubs - Vasco, Botafogo, Flamengo and Fluminense, also hosted games in the 1989 and 2019 Copa America, 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Overlooked by the Christ the Redeemer statue and the imposing Corcovado Mountain, the Maracana Stadium is the second-largest football stadium in South America and is arguably one of the most scenic ones.
#7 Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain)
Home team(s): Barcelona
Stadium capacity: ~99,000
Barcelona's imposing Camp Nou cauldron, opened in 1957, is one of the largest sports stadiums in the world and is the largest football stadium in Europe.
Designed by architects Francesc Mitjans Miro and Josep Soteras Mauri, the Camp Nou, which translates to 'new ground', was a significant upgrade on Barcelona's old Les Corts ground that could house only 48,000 spectators.
Originally intended to be named as the Estadi del FC Barcelona, the 'Camp Nou' name became more popular, and Barcelona adopted it as the official name of their home ground in 2000-01.
With a capacity to seat 99,354 spectators, the Camp Nou is one of the few football stadiums across the continent to fulfil UEFA's stringent Category 4 stadium regulations with regards to facilities, services and capacity.
The Nou Camp experience, on non-match days, gives one access to the FC Barcelona museum, backstage areas of the stadium like the dressing rooms and the opportunity to step out into the imposing arena. Not surprisingly, an entire section of the museum, which is minimally lit but ultra-modern, is dedicated to a certain Lionel Messi.
Barcelona's Camp Nou has hosted some of the most memorable football games in the history of the club and also hosted the opening ceremony of the 1982 FIFA World Cup and the first game of that competition.
#6 Luzhniki Stadium (Moscow, Russia)
Home team(s): Russian football team, Former home of CSKA Moscow, Spartak Moscow
Stadium capacity: ~81,000
The Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital of Moscow is the 'home' stadium of the Russian national football team.
Formerly the home of Moscow football clubs CSKA Moscow, Spartak Moscow and Torpedo Moscow, the Luzhniki Stadium, with a capacity of 81,000, is Russia's largest football stadium and the ninth largest in Europe.
The Luzhniki, which roughly translates to ' the meadows' and overlooks the Moskva river close to the city centre, was originally built in 1956 and has hosted high-profile events and football games over the years.
It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1980 Summer Olympics, the first-ever all-English Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea in 2008, the World Athletics Championships in 2013 and seven games, including the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The original Luzhniki was demolished in 2013, and its capacity was increased from 78,000 to 81,000 owing to the removal of the athletics track. As a UEFA category 4 stadium, the Luzhniki meets all stringent requirements in terms of facilities, services and capacity.
#5 Azteca Stadium (Mexico City, Mexico)
Home team(s): Club America, Cruz Azul, Mexican football stadium
Stadium capacity: ~87,500
The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, first opened in 1961, is one of the most historic and iconic football stadiums in the world. With a capacity of over 87,500, it is also one of the largest sporting arenas in the world.
It is the only stadium to have hosted two FIFA World Cup finals (1970 - when Brazil beat Italy and 1986 - when Argentina beat West Germany).
The home of Mexican football clubs Club America and Cruz Azul and also that of the Mexican national football team is a multi-purpose arena that has also hosted NFL (American football) games and concerts over the years.
Latest renovations to the historic stadium include the installation of modern LED panels, new media boxes and private 'sky' boxes.
#4 Wembley (London)
Home team(s): England football stadium
Stadium capacity: ~90,000
The Wembley Stadium in London, opened at the site of the original Wembley in 2007, is the largest football stadium in UK and the second largest in Europe with a capacity of 90,000.
The home of the England football team has hosted several high-profile football games like the 2011 and 2013 UEFA Champions League finals. It has also hosted other sports events like the 2015 Rugby World Cup, NFL (American football), boxing as well various musical concerts over the years.
The Wembley, one of the few UEFA Category 4 stadiums in Europe, has retractable roofs over two ends of the stadium and a signature 134-metre arch which supports over 75% of the roof load. The arch is the world's longest unsupported roof structure.
#3 Ataturk Stadium (Istanbul, Turkey)
Home team(s): Turkish national football team
Stadium capacity: ~76,500
The Ataturk Stadium, named after Turkey's first President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and opened in 2002, is one of Europe's largest football/multi-purpose stadium with a capacity of 76,761.
The home of the Turkish national football team was originally conceived for Istanbul's failed bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The Ataturk Stadium- designed by Michel Macary and Aymeric Zublena who also designed the Stade de France in Paris- has a signature steel frame in the shape of a crescent moon at its western end.
The epic 2005 UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan, which the English club won in a penalty shootout after recovering from a three-goal half-time deficit, was held at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul. The stadium, which also holds concerts, is hosted the 2021 Champions League final.
#2 Stade de France (Paris, France)
Home team(s): French national football team
Stadium capacity: ~80,000
The Stade de France, opened in 1998 for the FIFA World Cup, is one of the few UEFA Category 4 football stadiums in Europe that also hosts rugby union and athletics events.
It was at this stadium that a Zinedine Zidane-inspired France beat a star-studded Brazil team to win their first FIFA World Cup trophy. Since then, the home of the French national football team, which can house over 80,000 spectators, has hosted several high-profile sporting events.
The Stade de France, which is the world's biggest modular stadium, hosted several games in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2016 European Championships, including the finals of all three competitions.
The elliptical shape of the stadium symbolises the universality of sport in France while it has a movable stand that can be retracted for athletics events.
#1 Wanda Metropolitano (Madrid, Spain)
Home team(s): Atletico Madrid
Stadium capacity: ~68,000
The Wanda Metropolitano is one of the newest football stadiums in Europe. The stadium, which opened in 2017, is the home of Spanish La Liga club Atletico Madrid.
Initially opened in 1993, the stadium was renovated and then reopened as a state-of-the-art complex in 2017 that can house over 68,000 spectators.
The Wanda Metropolitano, which has an eye-catching roof and a bowl-shaped arena, hosted the 2019 UEFA Champions League final where Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur to win their sixth title in the competition.
