Football is one of the most popular and interesting sports. Although most of the leading teams play in Europe, in countries such as Germany, Brazil, Spain and England, The world's largest football stadium was built in Asia. Here are the top 10 largest football stadiums by capacity. The data is taken from the stadium database StadiumDB.com and is current as of June 2018.
10. Borg El-Arab Stadium – 86,000 people
This stadium is located west of the Egyptian city of Alexandria, near the Mediterranean coast. It was built in 2007 by the Egyptian Armed Forces Engineering Corps and includes both a football pitch and an athletics track around the entire perimeter of the field. This makes Borg Al Arab a multi-purpose sports arena.
The Egyptian national team plays in Cairo and does not use the country's largest stadium for its matches.
9. Bukit Jalil National Stadium (Bukit Jalil Stadium) - 87,411 people
Although it is sometimes referred to as a “110,000-seater stadium,” it is actually considerably smaller. According to StadiumDB.com, Bukit Jalil holds just over 87,000 people. However, the Malaysian National Stadium, built on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, is the largest football stadium in the country.
8. Wembley – 90,652 people
The largest stadium in England was born in agony (2003-2007). Firstly, it was built 4 years later than originally planned. Secondly, the cost of its construction was 798 million pounds sterling, while it was expected to spend half as much. Because of this, the general contractor and investors ended up in court, and many events had to be cancelled.
The stadium is shaped like a bowl with a retractable roof, and the seats are divided into three tiers, the middle of which is reserved exclusively for long-term seating. This arrangement greatly contributes to revenue, but has also earned criticism from the media and fans. It divides regular fans, making it difficult to create a proper atmosphere.
The most distinctive feature of the stadium is, of course, the 133-metre steel arch, whereas the predecessor stadium had twin towers. At night, the arch lights up and is visible for many kilometres.
7. Bird's Nest – 91,000 people
The National Stadium of China, built in Beijing to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, will once again open its gates to Olympians in the winter of 2023.
It was not by chance that one of the largest football stadiums in the world was named the "Bird's Nest". It consists of a concrete bowl with 24 columns around it, and on top of them is a network of giant steel beams. They resemble the branches from which a huge bird's nest is built. And just like the nest, the stadium's structure seems chaotic and at the same time very strong. As the cost of steel began to rise rapidly, the organizers abandoned the design of a retractable roof, which was originally supposed to be built under the "nest".
6. Rose Bowl – 92,542 people
The name of this American stadium comes from the Rose Bowl game, which has been held here every year since January 1, 1923.
The stadium was originally shaped like a horseshoe, but the open end of the "horseshoe" was closed by 1928. The bowl built then has remained virtually unchanged to this day, with only minor additions or reconfigurations made.
The stadium is enormous in size, and in its heyday (1972-1997) it could hold over 104,000 people. However, due to the addition of seats, especially in the west and east zones, its capacity has been reduced to 92,542.
5. Soccer City – 94,736 people
The FNB Stadium, also known by its more recognizable name Soccer City, hosted the 2010 World Cup Final. Although it can hold 94,736 spectators, only 84,490 were allowed into the stadium in 2010, with the rest of the seats reserved for VIPs and the press. The stadium is located in one of the most dangerous cities in the world, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Because of its shape, reminiscent of an African pot or a local pumpkin, the stadium was nicknamed the "Calabash".
4. Camp Nou – 99,354 people
The famous Barcelona club has the honor of playing not only in Spain, but also in the largest stadium in Europe for football. Construction began in 1954 and lasted three years. Three is also the number of architects who supervised the project – Francesc Mitjans, Lorenzo Garcia Barbon, Jose Soteras Mauri.
From the start, the Camp Nou was a building of impressive proportions. The initial capacity of 90,000 was increased to 110,000 in 1978, and then to almost 120,000 in the run-up to the 1982 World Cup. However, FIFA, UEFA and national federation safety regulations subsequently forced the stadium management to reduce the number of seats.
For decades, Camp Nou has been the site of the World Cup, the Olympic Games, the Cup Winners' Cup, the Champions League and many other major events.
3. Melbourne Cricket Ground – 100,024 people
The history of this Australian stadium, as the name suggests, is primarily associated with cricket. But it is also used to host football tournaments (the first game was played in 1859), earning the status of the "spiritual home" of the Australian team.
In addition to major cricket events (it has hosted two World Cups), the stadium is also the annual venue for the Australian Football Championship. In addition, top European clubs sometimes use the stadium for their overseas tournaments.
2. Estadio Azteca (Azteca Stadium) – 105,000 people
The second largest stadium for football is located in the Mexican capital of Mexico City. It boasts one of the largest premium zones, with 856 private boxes for corporate clients. Interestingly, the stadium is neither public property nor the property of a sports club. Its owner is the Mexican media group Televisa.
In 1986, on this pitch, football legend Diego Maradona scored one of his most famous goals, the "Hand of God", during the Argentina vs. England quarter-final game.
1. Rungrado May Day Stadium – 150,000 people
North Korea is not the most successful and richest country in the world. However, it has something that other countries do not have yet. It is the largest football stadium in the world. It is designed for 150 thousand spectators. The total area of the structure is 207,000 m², and the height is 60 m.
The National Stadium of North Korea was built on May 1, 1989, as a response to the Olympic Stadium in Seoul, as part of the rivalry between the two countries. The construction took 2.5 years, which is very fast for a building of this scale.
The most spectacular element of the stadium is its roof. It forms 16 petal-shaped segments that cover the stands and the 8-story stadium building. Its shape resembles a parachute or, in another symbolic connotation, a magnolia flower. The unique roof was noted and awarded first prize at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva in 1988.
Due to its size, the stadium has seen many remarkable events, setting a world attendance record in 1995 when it held 190,000 spectators.
When the North Korean football team is not playing on the field, it regularly hosts mass celebrations. The stadium was also the site of a public execution in 1992 of generals plotting to overthrow Kim Jong-il, the Sun of the Nation and Father of the People (these are far from all of his official titles).
The largest football stadium in Russia
In Moscow, not far from Vorobyovy Gory, there is the Luzhniki stadium. Its stands can accommodate 81 thousand spectators. The 2018 FIFA World Cup will begin there very soon (from June 14).
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