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Let's have a look at 25 biggest soccer stadiums in the world (by capacity) and the memorable fixtures related to them. The following slideshow contains a list of soccer stadiums, arranged by the seating capacity.
25. Maracanã Stadium - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Capacity: 78,838
Opened: June 16, 1950
Home Team(s): Brazil National Football Team, CR Flamengo, Fluminense FC, Botafogo FR, CR Vasco da Gama
Events Hosted: 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cups
Record Attendance: 199,854 (Brazil vs Uruguay, 16 July 1950)
Memorable Fixture(s): Germany 1-0 Argentina (2014 FIFA WC Final)
Uruguay 2-1 Brazil (1950 FIFA WC Final)
Maracanã stadium, formerly Estádio do Maracanã is the largest stadium in Brazil. Tournaments such as the 1989 Copa America, 2013 Confederations Cup, and the 2014 World Cup have been held here. The Maracanã also witnessed the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
24. Beijing National Stadium - Beijing, China
Capacity: 80,000
Opened: June 28, 2009
Events Hosted: 2008 Summer Olympics
Record Attendance: 89,102 (Nigeria vs Argentina, 23 August 2008)
Memorable Fixture(s): Argentina 1-0 Nigeria (2008 Olympic Final)
Beijing National Stadium, or the 'Bird's Nest' has some interesting facts,
1) The Bird's Nest can withstand an earthquake of up to magnitude 8 on the Richter Scale.
2) At the peak of construction, there were over 9,000 workers on the project.
3) The project budget began at USD 500 million before it was drastically reduced to just under USD 300 million.
The 2008 Olympic Final match between Argentina and Nigeria is the memorable football match ever, played at the Bird's Nest. In that match, Angel Di MarÃa flapped his celestial wings and delivered a fatal blow to finalists Nigeria, and Argentina achieved revenge over Nigeria for their 1996 defeat as Argentina won 1-0.
23. AT&T Stadium - Arlington, Texas, US
Capacity: 80,000
Opened: May 27, 2009
Home Team(s): Dallas Cowboys
Events Hosted: 2009, 2011, and 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cups, 2026 FIFA World Cup
Record Attendance: 105,121 (DC vs NY Giants, 21 September 2009)
AT&T Stadium, formerly known as Cowboys Stadium, is a stadium with a retractable roof in Arlington, Texas, United States. The ground of AT&T stadium is the home ground of the Dallas Cowboys.
22. Guangdong Olympic Stadium - Guangzhou, China
Capacity: 80,012
Opened: September 22, 2001
Home Team(s): Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC
Memorable Fixture(s): Guangzhou Pharmaceutical 0-3 Manchester United (2007 Asian Tour Friendly)
The Guangdong Olympic Centre Stadium or Aoti Main Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Guangzhou, China. With the seating capacity of 80,012, it is the largest stadium in China by seating capacity.
On 27 July 2007, Manchester United defeated Guangzhou Pharmaceutical FC 3-0 in the last match of their four-game Asian tour.
21. San Siro - Milan, Italy
Capacity: 80,018
Opened: September 19, 1926
Home Team(s): AC Milan, Inter Milan
Events Hosted: 1934 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, UEFA Euro 1980, 2001 and 2016 UEFA Champions League Finals
Memorable Fixture(s): AC Milan 4-0 Arsenal (2012 UEFA Champions League)
Inter Milan 0-6 AC Milan (2001 UEFA Champions League)
San Siro or the Giuseppe Meazza is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy. The stadium is one of the largest stadiums in Europe and also the largest in Italy.
The most memorable match played at the stadium was between arch-rivals Inter and AC Milan, in the 2001 UEFA Champions League. Nothing can be sweeter than just thrashing bitter rivals, on a purely emotional level, to an embarrassing degree. The match technically was the only one away match on this list, AC Milan delivered the sort of beating that perhaps is seen once every couple of decades, pounding Inter 6-0.
20. Estadio Monumental 'U' - Lima, Peru
Capacity: 80,093
Opened: July 2, 2000
Home Team(s): Club Universitario de Deportes
Memorable Fixture(s): Peru 2-1 Bolivia (2017 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
The Estadio Monumental 'U' (Monumental Stadium), is a football stadium in the district of Ate in Lima, Peru. The Monumental Stadium is the largest stadium in Peru and also the largest in South America. It has a spectator-capacity of 80,093; 20,916 in luxury box suites known as 'Palcos' and 59,177 seated in the four stands.
At this stadium, Peru National team played their FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in August 2017 in which they won 2-1 against Bolivia and eventually got qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
19. Stadium Shah Alam - Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Capacity: 80,372
Opened: July 16, 1994
Home Team(s): Selangor FA, PKNS FC
Events Hosted: 2007 AFC Asian Cup
Memorable Fixture(s): UAE 4-0 Laos (2017 International Friendly)
The Shah Alam Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. The Shah Alam Stadium was the biggest stadium in Malaysia before the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil was completed.
The most memorable match played at the stadium was between UAE and Laos in 2017. It was an international friendly match between the teams in which UAE defeated Laos 4-0, which was a truly memorable UAE debut for former Argentina coach Bauza.
18. Stade de France - Saint-Denis, France
Capacity: 80,698
Opened: January 28, 1998
Home Team(s): France National Football Team
Events Hosted: 1998 FIFA World Cup, 2000 and 2006 UEFA Champions League Finals, UEFA Euro 2016
Memorable Fixture(s): France 2-0 Germany (2015 International Friendly)
Stade de France is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in Saint-Denis. The seating capacity of the stadium 80,698 makes it the eighth-largest stadium in Europe. UEFA listed Stade de France as a Category 4 stadium.
The most memorable game played at the stadium was an international friendly match between France and Germany in 2015. The terror attacks outside the stadium during the match made the match memorable. Two loud explosions ripped through the air during the first half of that match. The sound drowned out and briefly hushed the 75,000 cheering fans inside. Despite the explosions taking place during the first half of the game, play continued till the end. France won, 2-0.
17. Luzhniki Stadium - Moscow, Russia
Capacity: 81,000
Opened: July 31, 1956
Home Team(s): Russian National Football Team
Events Hosted: 1980 Summer Olympics, 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, 2018 FIFA World Cup
Record Attendance: 102,538 (Soviet Union vs Italy, 13 October 1963)
Memorable Fixture(s): Russia 2-1 England (2008 UEFA EURO)
Luzhniki Stadium is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital city, Moscow. The total seating capacity of the stadium, 81,000 makes it the largest football stadium in Russia and one of the largest stadiums in Europe.
The most memorable match played at the stadium was between Russia and England in 2007 in which Russia defeated England 2-1 in a vital qualification match for UEFA EURO 2008. Substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko struck twice on his club ground to put Russia's fate into their own hands.
16. Santiago Bernabéu Stadium - Madrid, Spain
Capacity: 81,044
Opened: December 14, 1947
Home Team(s): Real Madrid CF
Events Hosted: UEFA Euro 1964, 1982 FIFA World Cup, 2010 UEFA Champions League Final
Record Attendance: 129,690 (Real Madrid vs AC Milan, 19 April 1956)
Memorable Fixture(s): Internazionale 2-0 Bayern Munich (2010 UEFA Champions League Final)
AC Milan 4-1 Ajax (1969 European Cup Final)
Real Madrid 2-0 ACF Fiorentina (1957 European Cup Final)
The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is a football stadium in Madrid, Spain. In 2007, the 1,000th match was played at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Three major and memorable matches have been played at the stadium. First, in 1957, the European Cup Final. This match was contested between Real Madrid, champions of Spain, and Fiorentina, champions of Italy. Real Madrid won 2–0 in the final against Fiorentina.
Second, in 1969, again it was the European Cup Final. That year Ajax, champions of the Netherlands played Milan, champions of Italy, to determine who would be the champions of Europe. Ajax lost to Milan 4-1 and Milan won their second European championship. Ajax also wrote their name in the history by being the first Dutch team to reach a final.
And third, in 2010, it was the UEFA Champions League Final. A game played between two best teams in Champion's League, Bayern Munich, who eliminated Lyon in the semi-finals, faced Internazionale, who defeated Barcelona in the semi-finals. Internazionale won 2-0.
15. Signal Iduna Park - Dortmund, Germany
Capacity: 81,360
Opened: April 2, 1974
Home Team(s): Borussia Dortmund
Events Hosted: 2001 UEFA Cup Final, 2006 FIFA World Cup
Record Attendance: 83,000 (Dortmund vs Schalke, 5 December 2004)
Memorable Fixture(s): Germany 0-2 Italy (2006 FIFA WC Semi-Final)
Westfalenstadion is a football stadium in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. For sponsorship reasons, officially it is called Signal Iduna Park. The stadium is Germany's largest stadium, the seventh-largest in Europe.
The match played between Germany and Italy, in FIFA World Cup 2006 Semi-Finals, is the most memorable one till now. In that game, Italy won 2-0 after a dramatic extra-time play. Grosso and Del-Piero scored back to back two goals in the 119th minute and 121st minute of the game.
14. FedEx Field - Landover, Maryland, US
Capacity: 82,000
Opened: September 14, 1997
Home Team(s): Washington Redskins
Events Hosted: 2026 FIFA World Cup
FedEx Field, originally Jack Kent Cooke Stadium is a football stadium located in Landover, Maryland, US. FedEx Field is the home of the Washington Redskins football team.
13. Croke Park - Dublin, Ireland
Capacity: 82,300
Opened: 1884
Home Team(s): Gaelic Athletic Association
Record Attendance: 90,556 (Offaly vs Down, 1961)
Croke Park is a GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) stadium located in Dublin, Ireland. The name of the stadium is in honour of Archbishop Thomas Croke.
12. MetLife Stadium - East Rutherford, New Jersey, US
Capacity: 82,500
Opened: April 10, 2010
Events Hosted: Copa América Centenario, 2026 FIFA World Cup
MetLife Stadium is an American sports stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The stadium has a seating capacity for 82,500 people, including 10,005 club seats and 218 luxury suites approximately, which makes it the second-largest NFL stadium.
11. ANZ Stadium - Sydney, Australia
Capacity: 84,000
Opened: March 6, 1999
Home Team(s): Western Sydney Wanderers
Events Hosted: 2000 Summer Olympics
Record Attendance: 114,714 (2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony)
Stadium Australia or commercially, ANZ Stadium and formerly known as Telstra Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park, in Sydney, Australia. The stadium's original seating capacity was for 110,000 spectators, which is the largest Olympic Stadium ever built and it is the second largest stadium in Australia, after the MCG or Melbourne Cricket Ground.
10. Salt Lake Stadium - Kolkata, India
Capacity: 85,000
Opened: January 1984
Home Team(s): India National Football Team, Atlético de Kolkata, Mohun Bagan AC, East Bengal FC, Mohammedan Sporting Club
Events Hosted: 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup
Record Attendance: 131,781 (Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal, 13 July 1997)
Memorable Fixture(s): England 5-2 Spain (2017 FIFA U-17 WC Final)
Argentina 1-0 Venezuela (2011 International Friendly)
Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), or popularly Salt Lake Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Bidhannagar, Kolkata, with a current capacity of 85,000 spectators. In terms of seating capacity, The VYBK is the largest stadium in India. Before it got renovated in 2011, it was the second largest football stadium in the world, as it had a seating capacity of 120,000 spectators.
History was made in Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium when Latin American giant Argentina took the field against Venezuela in an international friendly on September 2, 2011. The historic tie on the Indian soil ended with a 1-0 victory for Argentina. Nicolas Otamendi scored the lone goal at the VYBK Stadium, Salt Lake.
The final match of the 2017 U-17 FIFA WC will remain one of the most memorable games played at the Salt Lake Stadium. Spectacular England came back from two goals down to thrash Spain 5-2 in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Final in Kolkata, clinching their maiden title in the process.
9. Borg El Arab Stadium - Alexandria, Egypt
Capacity: 86,000
Opened: 2007
Home Team(s): Egypt National Football Team
Events Hosted: 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup
Record Attendance: 86,000 (Egypt vs Congo)
The Borg El Arab Stadium, or officially the Stad El Geish is the largest stadium in Egypt and also the second largest in Africa (after Soccer City in Johannesburg, SA) with a capacity of 86,000 spectators and is an all-seater stadium.
8. Bukit Jalil National Stadium - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Capacity: 87,411
Opened: September 11, 1996
Home Team(s): Malaysia National Football Team
Events Hosted: 1998 Commonwealth Games, 2007 AFC Asian Cup
Memorable Fixture(s): Malaysia 0-6 Palestine (2015 FIFA WC Qualifiers)
Malaysia 6-0 Afghanistan (2008 Merdeka Tournament)
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium, located in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium. With a spectator capacity of 87,411, it is the largest in South-East Asia.
There are two most memorable games played at Bukit Jalil National Stadium. The first one in 2008 and that was when Malaysia recorded their biggest win at Bukit Jalil, coming during the Merdeka tournament. In that match in 2008, Malaysia destroyed Afghanistan 6-0, while their biggest defeat at the same venue is by the same scoreline in the 2018 FIFA Qualifier Match against Palestine in 2015.
7. Estadio Azteca - Mexico City, Mexico
Capacity: 87,523
Opened: May 29, 1996
Home Team(s): Mexico National Football Team, Club América, Cruz Azul
Events Hosted: 1968 Summer Olympics, 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cups
Record Attendance: 119,853 (Mexico vs Brazil, 7 July 1968)
Memorable Fixture(s): Germany 2-3 Argentina (1986 FIFA WC Final)
Brazil 4-1 Italy (1970 FIFA WC Final)
The Estadio Azteca is located in the suburb of Santa Úrsula in Mexico City. With an official seating capacity of 87,000 spectators, it is the largest stadium in Mexico. Mexican multimedia conglomerate Televisa is the current owner of the stadium. The name 'Azteca' is a tribute to the Aztec heritage of Mexico City.
Estadio Azteca is The only stadium to have three World Cups as now Mexico will co-host the 2026 FIFA WC. The two final matches of the two WCs undoubtedly are the memorable games played at the stadium. In 1970, Brazil defeated Italy 4-1 in the 1970 WC Final, while in 1986 FIFA WC Final, Argentina defeated Germany 3-2.
6. Wembley Stadium - London, England
Capacity: 90,000
Opened: March 9, 2007
Home Team(s): England National Football Team, Tottenham Hotspur FC
Events Hosted: FA Cup semi-finals and finals, EFL Cup and English Football League play-offs finals, 2011 and 2013 UEFA Champions League Finals, UEFA Euro 2020
Record Attendance: 89,874 (Cardiff City vs Portsmouth, 17 May 2008)
Memorable Fixture(s): Bayern Munich 2-1 Borussia Dortmund (2013 UEFA Champions League Final)
Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United (2011 UEFA Champions League Final)
Wembley Stadium is a football stadium in Wembley, London, England. The stadium is the national stadium of England.
On 16 June 2011, Wembley Stadium was announced as the venue of the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final. Having hosted the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final, Wembley made history for being the first stadium in the tournament's history to host the final twice in three years. In 2011, FC Barcelona won 3-1 against Manchester United in the final, while in 2013, Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the final game of the tournament.
5. Rose Bowl Stadium - Pasadena, California, US
Capacity: 90,888
Opened: October 28, 1922
Events Hosted: CONCACAF Gold Cup, Copa América Centenario, 1994 FIFA World Cup, 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup
Record Attendance: 106,869 (Trojans vs OS Buckeyes, 1 January 1973)
Memorable Fixtures: Barcelona 2-1 LA Galaxy (2015 International Champions Cup)
Mexico 4-2 United States (2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final)
Brazil 0-0(3-2) Italy (1994 FIFA WC Final)
USA 0-0(5-4) China (1999 FIFA Women's WC Final)
The Rose Bowl is located in Pasadena, California. It is an outdoor athletic stadium in the United States, which is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The Rose Bowl is the 17th-largest stadium in the world, the 11th-largest stadium in the United States, as it has the spectators capacity 90,888 of an all-seated configuration.
The Rose Bowl has played host to many international exhibitions over the years, but the LA Galaxy’s clash with FC Barcelona in 2015 was quite literally the biggest one. A record 93,226 fans were in attendance for the 2015 International Champions Cup Final match, in which Barcelona won 2-1 against LA Galaxy.
4. FNB Stadium - Johannesburg, South Africa
Capacity: 94,736
Opened: 1989
Home Team(s): South Africa National Football Team, Kaizer Chiefs
Events Hosted: 2010 FIFA World Cup
Record Attendance: 94,807 (Chiefs vs Pirates, 1 August 2015)
Memorable Fixture(s): Spain 1-0 Netherlands (2010 FIFA WC Final)
The Soccer City, or First National Bank Stadium (FNB Stadium), is also known as The Calabash. The stadium is located in Nasrec, bordering the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. The Soccer City became the largest stadium in Africa with a capacity of 94,736 spectators. However, the maximum capacity of the stadium during the 2010 FIFA World Cup was 84,490 due to reserved seating for the press and other VIPs.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final (also known as the Battle of Johannesburg) was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time.
3. Camp Nou - Barcelona, Spain
Capacity: 99,354
Opened: September 24, 1957
Home Team(s): FC Barcelona
Events Hosted: 1982 FIFA World Cup, 1999 UEFA Champions League Final
Record Attendance: 120,000 (FC Barcelona vs Juventus, 1985-86)
Memorable Fixture(s): Barcelona 6-1 PSG (2017 UEFA Champions League)
Barcelona 4-0 AC Milan (2013 UEFA Champions League)
Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid (2010 UEFA Champions League)
Barcelona 5-1 Chelsea (2000 UEFA Champions League)
Since its completion in 1957, Camp Nou is the home stadium of FC Barcelona. With the seating capacity for 99,354 spectators, Camp Nou is the largest stadium in Spain and Europe, and the third largest football stadium in the world. During 1998-99, for its services and functionalities, UEFA rated Camp Nou a five-star stadium.
The epic to end all epics. On March 8, 2017, the script of the game between Barcelona and PSG was written with as many twists as possible. The epic game was the second leg of the round of 16 matches in 2017 UEFA Champions League. In that game, Barcelona destroyed PSG 6-1. Football has probably never seen a game like this before.
2. Melbourne Cricket Ground - Melbourne, Australia
Capacity: 100,024
Opened: 1853
Home Team(s): Australia National Football Team
Record Attendance: 100,021 (2017 AFL Grand Final)
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known as 'The G', located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, is the 10th-largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, and the largest cricket ground by capacity. The G has the tallest light towers compared to any sporting venue in the world. Despite its name, Melbourne Cricket Ground, it is used for various sports in Australia, and even, spectator numbers for football are larger than for any other sport in Australia.
1. Rungrado 1st of May Stadium - Pyongyang, North Korea
Capacity: 114,000
Opened: May 1, 1989
Home Team(s): Korea DPR National Football Team
The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, also known as the May Day Stadium, is situated in Pyongyang, North Korea. On May 1, 1989, the stadium was completed. It is the largest stadium in the world, with a total spectator capacity of 114,000. The stadium occupies an area of 51 acres (20.7 hectares).
