Football is a sport that is designed to be played professionally in the confines of a magnificent edifice known as a stadium. It is a no-brainer that a football stadium is a venue for a football game although other sports can also take place in it.
We’ve seen some beautiful stadiums with lush green pitches and state-of-the-art stands for spectators over the years, but can you pinpoint the biggest football stadiums in the world?
In this article, we will be throwing more light on the biggest soccer stadiums in the world in 2023, and we hope that you will find the information very helpful and useful.
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10 Biggest Soccer Stadiums In The World (2023)
1. Rungrado First of May Stadium – 114,000 – 150,000
The Rungrado has for a time been retained as the biggest stadium in the world with a staggering capacity of 150,000. Though, critics are of thought that the claimed capacity is not genuine since North Korea has maintained a very highly secretive capability for decades now.
All we can talk about the stadium is its continuous use for football matches and the hosting of the Arirang Festival, a gymnastics, and artistic performance event. And the stadium capacity has never been modified since it opened, but the ground was renovated between 2013 and 2015.
2. AT&T Stadium – 105,000
AT&T Stadium is the home of American football’s Dallas Cowboys, and the stadium has as well been used to host football matches. It is located in Arlington, Texas, the location is currently the largest domed stadium in the world.
Its roof can retract and there is a high-definition television screen situated at the center of the stadium which also nets the biggest screen ever in the world. To emphasize a bit more the AT&T stadium has a 105,000 capacity which is second to the highest in the world.
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3. Melbourne Cricket Ground – 100,024
Don’t misquote this enormous stadium to be only used for Cricket games as the name suggests. Yes, your guess is right as it was first designed and built for Cricket games back in 1853.
But as the need arises, it was used to host football matches and its first FIFA-recognized international football match was in 1997 which was a World Cup qualifying game played by Australia and Iran.
Lately, it has seen the events like popular European clubs, like Manchester United and Juventus. The stadium is well known in Australia colloquially as “The G,” and has a capacity of 100,024.
4. Camp Nou – 99,354
Since 24th September 1957, Camp Nou has been the home of FC Barcelona. And has hosted the home games of the Catalonia national team and in 1992, the stadium was used amongst others to host the Spain Summer Olympics.
Also, the stadium has seen two matches of the Champions League finals and in 1982, it hosted one of the semi-final FIFA World Cup matches.
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The capacity was pegged at 93,000 until 1980 and was further expanded from this period to 121,749. It was later reduced to 115,000 in 1993 and by 2015, it has been reduced to 98,772. It was later increased to 99,354 as of 2016 and there are plans to increase it again in subsequent times.
5. FNB Stadium – 94,736
The First National Bank Stadium (FNB) and also referred to as Soccer City or the Calabash is where South Africa home matches are hosted as also rugby games.
It doubled as the home ground of the South African Football team Kaisa Chiefs FC. It hosted the African Cup of Nations in 1996 and 2013 and other games when South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2010.
6. Rose Bowl – 92,542
Mostly called the American football stadium, the Rose Bowl featured as the most important soccer pitch in the United States. It was used to host the FIFA World Cup final in 1994, the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in 1999, and also Olympic Gold Medal Match in 1984, and other CONCACAF and US Soccer Federation matches.
The capacity was 104,091 from 1972 till 1997 and was later lowered between 91,136 and 92,542 due to the 1998 Rose Bowl. But in 2011, it saw a huge capacity of 94,118 as many viewers stormed the stadium during one of its greatest games.
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7. Wembley Stadium – 90,000
Wembley Stadium is located in London, England, and has a capacity of 90,000. Though, it was later rebuilt to include high-techs and other overwhelming facilities in the stadium.
The first Wembley Stadium was completed in 1923 and the current stadium was built from 2002 to 2007. What makes the stadium stand out is its giant arch that serves as the main support structure for the roof. The stadium is used to host the Football Association (FA) Cup Final every year.
8. Estadio Azteca – 87,523
Estadio Azteca is situated in the suburb of Santa Ursula in Mexico City and is the home ground of the Mexican National team. It also serves as the home ground of Club America which is always at the top of Mexican football.
The field has been used concurrently by clubs such as Necaxa, Atlante, Universidad Nacional, Atletico Espanyol, and Cruz Azul.
This stadium holds its reputation in world football and it was used to the host first two FIFA World Cup finals. English football fans will forever remember this stadium as it was where the famous Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’s goal was scored in 1986 in the quarter-final between England and Argentina.
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9. Bukit Jalil National Stadium – 87,411
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium is structured in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It was completed in 1998 and hosted the Commonwealth Games the same year.
And currently the largest stadium in Southeast Asia. It has also been used to host many international football games, and its currently being used to host Malaysia’s National Football Squad. Its capacity is 87,411.
10. Borg El Arab Stadium – 86,000
Borg EI Arab stadium was completed in 2007 and has a capacity of 86,000 fans and spectators. It doubled as the second-largest stadium in Africa which was a move initiated when Egypt was denied to host the FIFA World Cup due to capacity requirements.
It later held the FIFA World Cup in 2010. And in 2017, the stadium saw massive fans fill its capacity during the 2018 World Cup qualifying match between Egypt and Congo.
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Final Words
The aforementioned 10 stadiums in this article are the biggest football stadiums in the world and have been used to host many international football tournaments in the past and in recent times.
Ken Anucha studied Information Technology at Sikkim Manipal University. He is a gaming and sports enthusiast whose aim is to keep folks in these spheres thoroughly informed and up-to-date.