Every football fan across the globe will tell you that a superb stadium is just as important to the overall experience as the teams that play the match. The stadium’s thrilling atmosphere can make boring matches seem more fun and good matches appear even better. As a football fan myself, in this post, I will rank the best football stadiums in the world.
But how can we determine which are the very best football stadiums in the world? We can do so by considering the following factors: stadium capacity, the quality of the team that plays there, history, and the overall impact that they had on football.
Now, let’s take a look at the top 10 best football stadiums in the world.
#10 – Estadio Azteca
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
The list of the top 10 best football stadiums in the world starts with the biggest stadium in Mexico—Estadio Azteca. This legendary home ground of the Mexican national football team is located in Mexico City. Besides the team of Mexico, this team is also the home ground of Cruz Azul and Club America. Estadio Azteca was opened in 1966 and has a capacity of 83,264 seats.
Many matches were played at the Estadio Azteca, but the most memorable was undoubtedly the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals between Argentina and England. In that same match, Maradona scored the controversial “Hand of God” goal as well as the “Goal of the century” when he dribbled past five English footballers and scored.
That same year, Estadio Azteca hosted the 1986 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and West Germany. In addition, the 1970 FIFA World Cup final was played there too.
#9 – Signal Iduna Park
Location: Dortmund, Germany
When you combine the rich history of incredible matches and the electrifying atmosphere, you get one of the best football stadiums in the world—Signal Iduna Park. It was first opened in 1974, and it can hold 81,335 fans.
Signal Iduna Park is situated in Dortmund, Germany, and it’s the home stadium of one of the greatest soccer teams in Germany—Borussia Dortmund. Every time Borussia plays, the fans eclipse the majority of the stadium with the legendary “Yellow Wall.” Moreover, the atmosphere made by the supporters of this club is a sight to behold.
Besides Borussia Dortmund, Germany’s national team also plays their international matches in Signal Iduna Park.
This stadium, also known as Westfalenstadion, was purposefully built to host FIFA World Cup games in 1974. Brazil, Scotland, Zaire, and the Netherlands played opening games in this stadium.
#8 – Anfield
Location: Liverpool, UK
One of the greatest football stadiums of all time is the home ground of Liverpool FC—Anfield. This stadium isn’t the biggest on the list since it has 54,000 available eats.
Anfield was first opened in 1884, and the rest is history.
Many historic matches and numerous trophies have been lifted inside it. Some of the biggest superstars in football have also played inside this stadium, such as Steven Gerrard, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, John Barnes, and Mohamed Salah.
The enthusiastic Liverpool fans who sit in the stands of Anfield are capable of instilling fear into even the best football teams in the world. When the opposition walks through Anfield’s tunnel and hears the renowned “You’ll Never Walk Alone” Liverpool FC hymn, they know the match will be tough.
#7 – San Siro
Location: Milan, Italy
The San Siro stadium is among the most iconic football home grounds of all time. Both Inter Milan as well as AC Milan play their matches in this beautiful stadium. This stadium is known as San Siro for AC Milan, while for Inter Milan supporters, it’s known as Giuseppe Meazza. The stadium has seen some incredible matches between the fierce rivals from the city of Milan, one of the biggest football rivalries in the world.
San Siro was first opened in 1986, and it has a capacity of 75,817 seats.
What’s interesting about this stadium is its design. It ensures that every fan in the stands has the best possible view, no matter where they sit. The fact that the stadium’s architects had this in mind shows how much they cared about making a stadium that would improve the fans’ experience.
The San Siro has hosted numerous games of the 1934 and 1990 FIFA World Cups.
Many football legends have played in this sensational stadium, including Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Marco van Basten, Ronaldo, Javier Zanetti, and others.
#6 – Maracana Stadium
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Maracana stadium is one of the most remarkable modern-day football coliseums, having witnessed a fair share of historic matches and exceptional players. It is the home ground of the Brazilian national soccer team and is situated in Rio de Janeiro. The gates of the Maracana stadium first opened in 1950, and the seating capacity of this stadium is 78,838.
The Maracana has hosted many matches, but the most legendary was the 1950 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Uruguay. That day, 199,854 supporters were inside the stadium to watch the game. The number wasn’t officially verified, but to this day, that game is possibly the highest-attended match ever in football. Brazil unfortunately lost the game 2-1.
Besides Brazil’s national team, Flamengo and Fluminense also play their home games at the Maracana stadium.
#5 – Allianz Arena
Location: Munich, Germany
The Allianz Arena is one of the newest stadiums on this list since it was first opened in 2005. Moreover, its beautiful and curved design is so ahead of time that it even surpasses the design of the newest ones. The Allianz Arena is stunning in the evening and is no less remarkable during the day. This stadium is in Munich, Germany, and it has a capacity of 75,024 available seats.
The Allianz Arena is the home ground of the greatest football team in Germany—Bayern Munich. More than a couple of football icons have played in this legendary stadium, such as Oliver Kahn, Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Miroslav Klose.
The Allianz Arena has hosted many football games. Still, the most important were the FIFA 2006 World Cup matches and the 2012 UEFA Champions League final when Bayern lost 3-4 against Chelsea in a penalty shootout after extra time.
#4 – Old Trafford
Location: Manchester, UK
Old Trafford is one of the most iconic soccer stadiums in the world, and it’s also called “The Theatre of Dreams” with a reason. Many incredible matches and legendary footballers played in this stadium. Old Trafford is the home team of Manchester United, one of the best teams in England. Manchester’s home ground opened its gates in 1910, and the stadium can hold 74,310 supporters.
Old Trafford was the host of the famous 1966 FIFA World Cup when England won the tournament. Besides this World Cup, this stadium has hosted an endless list of legendary UEFA Champions League and Premier League matches.
Numerous iconic players played in this stadium, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Bobby Charlton, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona, George Best, and many others.
#3 – Camp Nou
Location: Barcelona, Spain
The biggest soccer stadium in the entire Europe is Camp Nou, and it’s the home ground of one of the greatest and most successful football clubs ever—FC Barcelona. The well-known motto of this Spanish club, “mes que un club”, is embroiled on every seat, and it’s also a big part of Barca’s identity. Camp Nou was first opened in 1957, and it has a remarkable capacity of 99,354 available seats.
One time, the capacity of this stadium surpassed 120,000 seats for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, but the number was later decreased due to certain law changes. Camp Nou hosted many notable fixtures like the 1989 European Champion Clubs’ Cup final as well as the 1999 UEFA Champions League final.
Many iconic names in football have played at Camp Nou, like Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Romario, Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, and so many others.
Camp Nou is one of those stadiums that will always be dear to not just the fans of Barca, but to every football fan on the planet.
#2 – Santiago Bernabeu
Location: Madrid, Spain
The Santiago Bernabeu is the home to one of the most decorated football clubs ever—Real Madrid. With 14 European Cup/Champions League titles, this team from Madrid is highly successful, and the Santiago Bernabeu can’t be a better stadium to play at. It was opened back in 1947, and it has a capacity of 81,044 seats. This stadium was renovated a couple of times in history, and its reported costs were more than $1 billion.
Santiago Bernabeu has always been one of the best stadiums for hosting football events. For instance, it hosted the European Champion Clubs’ Cup finals in 1957, 1969, and 1980, and the UEFA Champions League final back in 2010.
Over the years, many soccer superstars have played in this stadium, such as Zinedine Zidane, Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Cristiano Ronaldo, and so on.
#1 – Wembley Stadium
Location: London, UK
Undoubtedly, the best soccer stadium in the world is the Wembley Stadium. It was reopened back in 2007 at the exact place where the previous one from 1923 stood. Renowned for having one of the most electrifying atmospheres of all stadiums, the famous Wembley Arch is a sight to behold.
Wembley Stadium is the home ground of the national football team of England, with an impressive capacity of over 90,000 available seats. It is situated in London, and every club in England dreams that Wembley will someday be their home ground.
This London stadium held numerous prestigious football events, such as the UEFA Champions League finals in 2011 and 2013. Also, the old Wembley hosted the 1966 FIFA World Cup final when England beat West Germany 4-2 in the final.
Besides being home to the country’s national team, many events that aren’t related to this sport, like pop concerts, are held in Wembley Stadium.
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