The largest football stadiums in the world. The biggest stadiums in the world

Did you know that the word "stadium" comes from the ancient Greek "to stand"? True, since then they have grown so much that now there are enough seats here to accommodate half of not the most small town.

There are tens of thousands of stadiums in the world, most of which can be divided into universal (which have the opportunity to conduct both athletics and football matches), and football (only for playing football).

May Day Stadium

The largest stadium on our planet is located in North Korea and it is called May Day Stadium (or May Day Stadium). This is one of the largest multifunctional complexes in Asia. Its capacity is 150,000 spectators, it covers almost 2 million square kilometers.

It is worth noting that the building is very beautiful and outwardly resembles a magnolia flower. Its height reaches 60 meters, and it is used not only for various games, but also for festive parades. Inside, there is an individual seat for each visitor, and the stands are covered with roof vaults, so that guests of the holiday should not be afraid of rain.

By the way, the building has another name - Rungrado, in honor of the island on which it is located.

Indian Youth Stadium

The next on the list is the Indian Youth Stadium, which has been operating since 1984 and now ranks second in size and capacity after Pervomaisky. Its area is just over 300 thousand square kilometers, and it can accommodate 120,000 spectators on three tiers of its stands.

Michigan Stadium

Next on our list is Michigan Stadium, which is the largest stadium in America - its capacity reaches 109901, but these are the official numbers, and unofficial claims that more than 114 thousand fans once visited this stadium.

It was built back in 1927 and initially accommodated only about 70,000 people. Currently, American football matches are held here, as well as hockey.

Beaver Stadium

Another record holder is Beaver Stadium, which is located in Pennsylvania, USA, on the campus of one of the local universities. Interestingly, it was named after James Beaver, the governor of Pennsylvania, who led the region in the century before last. Its official capacity is 106,572 people.

Estadio Azteca

And this stadium is located in the Mexican city of Santa Ursula. It is home to the Mexican national football team. In 1968, the Summer Olympic Games were held here.

At the moment, this is the only stadium in the world that has hosted two final matches in the World Cup at once. This happened in 1970 and 1986, respectively. The capacity is 105064 people.

Neyland Stadium

Another stadium located in the United States of America. It is located in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is home to the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used for other sporting events, including NFL games.

Neyland Stadium was built back in 1921, but during all this time it has undergone 16 alterations. The maximum number of fans who visited it is 104,079 people.

Ohio Stadium

Ohio Stadium is located on the campus of The Ohio State University. In addition to the fact that the stadium performs its direct duties, a variety of bands often perform here, including Metallica, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and U2.

It was built in 1922 and at that time the capacity of the building was about 66 thousand people. The last reconstruction was made in 2007, when the maximum capacity reached 102329. According to this parameter, Ohio Stadium takes an honorable fourth place in the United States.

Bryant–Denny Stadium

This stadium is located in Tusklusa, Alabama and is home to the Alabama football team.

Was built in 1929. He was named after the director of the University of Alabama, George Denny. Currently, the capacity of Bryant-Denny reaches 101,821 fans.

Darrell K Royal (Texas Memorial Stadium)

It was built back in 1924, but the first reconstruction took place only four years, which made it possible to accommodate 100,119 fans. True, almost immediately after that, another reconstruction began, which will accommodate at least 115 thousand people. The stadium was named after Darren Royal, the legendary American football player and coach.

Melbourne Cricket Ground

And now we're off to Australia, where the Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG as the locals call it, is located. This is a very old stadium, which was founded back in 1854, but for a long time modified many times. Owned by the Melbourne Cricket Club. The capacity record is 100,012 visitors. It has the highest lighting masts in the world.

Maracana

Interestingly, the Maracanã stadium, which is located in Brazil, was once the leader. The maximum number of spectators who came to the football match was 199,850 fans, and this happened in 1950 - then the World Cup final was held here and the teams of Uruguay and Brazil met. Unfortunately, now the building is undergoing reconstruction and the number of seats will be reduced by about half.

Since many in the comments ask about the famous stadium Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, I will dwell on it in more detail in the preface to the rating. Maracana's attendance record was set at the 1950 World Cup final, where Brazil lost 2-1 to Uruguay. Then the match was attended by 199 thousand 854 fans. However, after the reconstruction, Maracana holds only 78,838, and even less at the 2014 FIFA World Cup - 73,531. Now Maracana is not even included in the top 50 largest stadiums in the world.

25th place: / Borg El Arab (another name is the stadium of the Egyptian army). Capacity - 86 thousand. This is the most big stadium Egypt and Africa's second largest stadium. The stadium, built in 2006 by Egyptian Army engineers, is located in resort town Burj Al Arab near the city of Alexandria. The stadium was built to win the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but in the end Egypt lost the right to host the South African World Cup. The stadium will host matches of the national football team, as well as the Egyptian Cup finals and important matches of Egyptian clubs.

24th place: Memorial Stadium/ Memorial Stadium. Capacity - 87,091. The stadium was built in 1923 in Lincoln, Nebraska (USA). The University of Nebraska American football team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, plays here.

23rd place: / Jordan-Hare. Capacity - 87 451. The stadium was built in 1939 and is located in the city of Auburn (US state of Olabama). Jordan-Hare is the home stadium of the local university's American football team, the Auburn Tigers.

22nd place: / Bung Karno. Capacity - 88,083. The stadium was built in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, in 1960 for the 1962 Asian Games. Bung Karno is the largest stadium in Indonesia, the football team of this country plays here.

21st place: / Ben Hill Griffin, popularly referred to as "The Swamp" (swamp). Capacity - 88 548. The stadium was built in the city of Gainesville (US state of Florida). Ben Hill Griffin is the home stadium of the local university's American football team, the Florida Gators.

20th place: / Wembley. Capacity - 90,000. The stadium was built in London in 2007 and is the home arena of the England football team. Wembley hosts the FA Cup finals. The Saracens rugby team also plays its matches at Wembley.

19th place: / Azadi (translated from Persian as "freedom"). Capacity - 91,623. The stadium was built in 1971 for the 1974 Asian Games. The Iran national football team plays most of its home matches at this stadium, and the clubs Persepolis and Esteghlal also play here.

18th place: / Cotton Bowl. Capacity - 92 100. The stadium was built in 1930 and is located in Dallas (US state of Texas). The Cotton Bowl has been the home arena of various American football teams. It also hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup matches.

17th place: / Tiger Stadium. Capacity - 92 542. The stadium was built in 1924 and is located in the city of Baton Rouge (US state of Louisiana). Tiger Stadium is the home arena of the Louisiana State University American football team.

16th place: / Sanford Stadium. Capacity - 92,746. The stadium was built in 1929 in Athens, but not in Greek, but in American (Georgia). The local university American football team, the Georgia Bulldogs, plays its home games here.

15th place: / Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Capacity - 93 607. The stadium was built in 1923 and hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice (1932, 1984). The USC American football team, nicknamed the Trojans, plays here.

14th place: / Rose Bowl. Capacity - 94 392. The stadium was built in 1922 in the city of Pasadena (California, USA). The stadium hosted matches of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, including the final. Now the Rose Bowl is home to the University of California American football team.

13th place: / Soccer City. Capacity - 94 736 (this the largest stadium on the African continent). The stadium was built in Johannesburg (South Africa) in 1989. In 1996, the final of the African Cup of Nations in 1996 was held here, and in 2010, Soccer City became the venue for matches (including the final) of the World Cup. Soccer City is the home arena of the South African national football team, as well as the Kaiser Chiefs club, the 11-time South African champion.

12th place: / Camp Nou (translated from the Catalan "New Field"). This stadium, which is the home ground of FC Barcelona, ​​has a capacity of 99,786 spectators and is the largest stadium not only in Spain, but throughout Europe. The stadium was built in 1957, in 1982 it hosted the World Cup and in 1992 the Summer Olympic Games.

11th place: / Melbourne Cricket Ground. Capacity - 100,024. This stadium is the largest in Australia. In addition, this world's largest cricket stadium. The Australian national team plays cricket here. The Australian football team also plays at this stadium. They also play Australian football here. The stadium was built in 1854 and since then has been reconstructed more than once. In 1956 the Melbourne Cricket Ground was the main venue for the summer Olympic Games, and during the 2000 Olympics hosted football matches.

10th place: / Darrell K Royal (former name - Texas Memorial Stadium / Texas Memorial Stadium. Capacity - 100 119. The stadium was built in 1924, located in Austin (Texas, USA) and bears the name of American football coach Darrell Royal The stadium is now home to the Texas Longhorns, a local university football team.

9th place: / Bukit Jalil. Capacity - 100,200. This stadium was opened in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur in 1998 in order to host the Commonwealth Games here ( British Commonwealth, not to be confused with the CIS). Now the largest stadium in Malaysia serves as the home arena of the country's football team, as well as the venue for the finals of the Cup and Super Cup of Malaysia on football.

8th place: / Bryant Denny Stadium. Capacity - 101,821. The stadium was built in 1928 in the city of Tuscaloosa (Alabama, USA) and initially accommodated 18 thousand people. It is now the home arena of the local university's American football team.

7th place: / Ohio Stadium. Capacity - 102 329. The stadium was built in 1922 in the city of Columbus (Ohio, USA) and initially accommodated 66 thousand people. It is now the home arena of the local university's American football team, the Ohio State Buckeyes. It is noteworthy that this stadium does not have lighting, so matches are played during the daytime or lighting equipment is temporarily delivered to the stadium.

6th place: / Neyland Stadium. Capacity - 102 455. The stadium was built in 1921 in the city of Knoxville (Tennessee, USA) and initially accommodated only 3200 people. It is now the home arena of the local university's American football team, the Tennessee Volunteers.

5th place: / Azteca. This stadium has a capacity of 105,064 is the largest in Latin America . The stadium was built in the Mexican capital Mexico City in 1966 and hosted two World Cups (1970, 1986). On June 22, 1986, Azteca witnessed how Diego Maradona scored with his hand a goal called the "Hand of God", and three minutes later he scored the "Goal of the Century" - a goal recognized as the best in the history of the World Cup, he was scored after Maradona's breakthrough into the penalty area of ​​the English team, during which he beat six players, including the goalkeeper.
Now Azteca is the home arena of the Mexican national football team. It also hosts its matches football club "America" ​​- 10-time champion of Mexico.

4th place: / Beaver Stadium. With a capacity of 106,572, this stadium is the second largest in the United States. The stadium was built in 1960 and originally held 46,284 people. Beaver Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Beaver Stadium is the home arena of the college football team, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

3rd place: / Michigan Stadium. Capacity - 109,901. Michigan Stadium - the largest stadium in the United States, North America and the entire Western Hemisphere, as well as the largest American football stadium in the world. It was built in 1927 and initially accommodated 72,000 people. Michigan Stadium is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. The stadium is the home arena for the University of Michigan American football team, the Michigan Wolverines (Michigan Wolverines). It is also the home stadium for the varsity lacrosse team. Michigan Stadium is sometimes the venue for hockey games. December 11, 2010 a hockey match attendance record was set here. 104,073 people came to watch the game between the hockey teams of the two local universities.

2nd place: / Stadium of the Indian Youth (another name is Salt Lake Stadium). Capacity - 120 thousand people. The stadium was built in 1984 and is located in the Indian city of Kolkata. The stadium hosts the matches of the Indian national football team, as well as the football clubs East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan. In addition, athletics competitions are held here.

In the capital of North Korea Pyongyang with a capacity of 150 thousand people is the largest stadium in Asia and worldwide. The stadium was built in 1989 to host the XIII Festival of Youth and Students. Now the North Korean national football team plays at this stadium.

With the 2014 FIFA World Cup taking place in Brazil, the famous Maracanã football stadium is being discussed more and more. A lot of praises have already been sung to him, and many people call him the largest stadium in the world, but is this so? In fact, after the reconstruction, in the ranking of the largest stadiums in the world, it takes far from the first place. In our article we will talk about it, as well as other stadiums that are among the largest in the world.

The whole truth about the legendary "Mario Filho"

Mario Filho is official name Maracanã stadium, which can be included in the list. It was named after the famous sports journalist Mario Filho, who was the founder of the country's sports magazine.

Once this stadium was really considered the largest in the world and was included in the Guinness Book of Records for capacity. The book indicates that at the beginning of its history, the legendary Brazilian stadium, which is the heart of Brazil and the temple local residents(after all, football is considered their second religion), was able to accommodate 180 thousand fans.

After the Second World War, the World Cups were resumed in 1946 in Rome. After him, the only applicant country wishing to host the World Cup in 1950 was Brazil. It was for this Championship that the creation of the largest football stadium was timed.

The first stone of "Maracana" was laid in 1948. By the time of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the press box had not been completed, and there were few toilets, but this did not interest anyone, because the main thing was that the part where the main action takes place was completed. It took another 15 years to finally build this structure.

That FIFA World Cup was remembered not only for the fact that it was held at the largest (at that time) stadium in the world, but also for several interesting facts. After the war, only thirteen teams were able to take part in the World Cup, and the USSR national team did not take part for political reasons. The Indian team did not participate in the Championship because FIFA denied them their small request to play with bare feet. A feature of the Championship of the 50th year was the fact that the mini-championship was held in uneven four groups.

In the final match of the 1950 World Cup, the teams of Brazil and Uruguay played. The match ended with the score 2:1 in favor of the Uruguayan national team. It was a hard blow for many Brazilian fans. Evidence of this is the fact that there were famous cases heart attacks, in addition, the players and the referee had to be evacuated by the police to avoid bloodshed.

This, of course, does not end the history of the legendary stadium. Many more important matches have been played here.

In 2000, it was decided that Maracana should be restored and, after several years of planning and 9 months of reconstruction work, the stadium was re-launched. "Maracana" before the reconstruction included an area called "zheral" - these are standing places and benches, where the poorest fans could be accommodated for a nominal fee of $ 1. But FIFA demanded only numbered seats, so after the reconstruction of Mario Filho, having lost the status of the largest football stadium in the world, it began to accommodate up to 79 thousand fans.

Rating of the largest football stadiums in the world

In our article, we will only talk about those football stadiums with a capacity of more than 80,000. There are not so many of them in the whole world, or rather nineteen, and none of the stadiums in Russia, even Luzhniki, is among them. But first things first.

The last line of our rating is shared by several stadiums. The French stadium "Stade de France" can accommodate up to 80 thousand spectators. It is located in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, on the site of abandoned gas fields. Its opening, as well as the opening of the Maracana, was timed to coincide with the World Cup, which only took place in 1998. It opened with a friendly match between France and Spain in January 1998. But, due to the fact that the builders spared money for heating the field, it was frozen, the match was in jeopardy.

The Shanghai stadium was opened a year earlier than the French stadium, it also accommodates 80,000 spectators, hosts home matches of the Chinese Super League team Shanghai Tellais. São Paulo has the Morumbi stadium with the same capacity as the ones mentioned above.

The sixteenth line of the rating is occupied by the Signal Iduna Park, built in the German city of Dortmund. Throughout its history, it has undergone four reconstructions, and as a result, its capacity today is 81,264 people. It is the home arena of the local Borrussia team. It is notable for the fact that the most productive final in the history of European competitions took place here. Liverpool and Alaves played in the UEFA Cup final, their game ended with a score of 5:4.

Stadium "Australia" (now called "ANZ Stadium"), located in Sydney, can accommodate 83.5 thousand spectators. This is a multi-purpose stadium, which hosts not only football matches, but also rugby and cricket matches, as well as concerts.

The fourteenth place in the ranking of the largest open stadiums in the world is occupied by the Santiago Bernabeu, a football stadium located in the capital of Spain, Madrid. It is on his field that the famous Real Madrid team trains. "Santiago Bernabeu" is able to accommodate 85.3 thousand people. Recently it became known that the reconstruction of the stadium is planned, which, first of all, will affect its facades. But this is not all that the architects propose to change. They want to make a retractable roof with Teflon membranes that can protect not only from rain, but also from the bright sun. The most interesting thing is that it is planned to place a hotel on its territory, the guests of which will be able to watch games without leaving their rooms.

Thirteenth place is occupied by the second largest stadium in Africa - "Borg el-Arab" (or the stadium of the Egyptian army). It seats 86,000 spectators and is located in Egypt.

The Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, also known as the San Siro, is located in Milan, Italy. He enters. "San Siro" is the arena of two FC "Milan" and "Inter", and he received his name in honor of the two-time world champion Giuseppe Meazza. Its official capacity is considered to be 86,200 spectators, although in 1980 90,000 people came to the Bob Marley concert.

Following the Italian stadium is the English one - "Wembley" (or "New Wembley"). , you can't help but notice it. Wembley has a capacity of 90,000 and was built on the site of the old Empire Stadium, which was demolished in 2003. hallmark it is a 134 m high steel arch, which is the longest single-span roof structure in the world.

Beijing National Stadium, created for the 2008 Summer Olympics, can accommodate 91,000 spectators. It hosted the 2009, 2011 and 2012 Italian Super Cup matches. Interesting fact: A new steel grade was developed for the construction of the Beijing National Stadium, distinctive feature which is the almost complete absence of impurities, which complicated the welding of steel elements.

Built in USA great amount stadiums with a capacity of more than 80 thousand, but almost all of them are designed only for American football. Therefore, in our article we will pay attention to only one of their stadiums, which hosts games in the usual football. We are talking about the "Rose Bowl", which is located in the city of Pasadena (California). Its official capacity is 94,392 people, although, for example, 97,000 spectators gathered for a U2 concert.

Eighth place is deservedly occupied by the Soccer City Stadium (Johannesburg, South Africa). It is the largest stadium in Africa. The final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was held here. The capacity of the largest stadium in Africa is 94,736 spectators, however, during the World Cup, it was reduced to 84,490, as space was required to accommodate VIPs and the press.

The largest open stadium in Europe is the Spanish Camp Nou stadium. It was erected in the mid-50s of the last century, and at that time it could accommodate only 60 thousand spectators. Now it is ready to accept 99354 people. It is also notable for the fact that at the 1982 World Cup the number of fans reached 120 thousand. There is a museum in the stadium building, which is visited annually by 1.2 million people who want to see not only the cups, but also “flip through” the impressive (century-old!) history of Barça in the multimedia room or admire the works of Miro and Dali. It is also interesting that there are chapels next to the changing rooms of the players. Also at the Camp Nou was in 1999, perhaps the most amazing Champions League final, which met Manchester United and Bayern. This game was remembered for the fact that in extra time, which was only 2 minutes, Manchester United scored two goals, thereby pulling out a victory.

The largest stadium in Australia is the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Concurrently, it is the largest cricket stadium in the world. Its capacity is 100018 seats. It was erected in 1854 and has already undergone many restorations.

On the fifth line of the ranking of the largest stadiums in the world is Iran's Azadi Stadium. It was built in the west of Tigeran. The national team, Persepolis and Esteghlal clubs train here. Azadi can host 100,000 spectators at once.

Quite a bit behind the top three stadium "Azteca". It was erected back in the 60s of the last century in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. Its capacity is 105 thousand people. It is notable for the fact that it is located at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level, although it looks quite low, but only because the playing field is 9 meters below street level. Azteca is designed in such a way that the sun, crossing the playing field, does not cause any inconvenience to any team. The record attendance was recorded on July 7, 1968, when the Mexico-Brazil match took place. Then 119853 people came to see the "battle".

The top three included the Bukit Jalil Stadium, which is located in Malaysia. It is designed for 110 thousand spectators. The final matches of the Malaysian Football Cup and Super Cup are held on its field.

In second place in the ranking of the largest stadiums in the world is the Indian Youth Stadium (or Salt Lake Stadium). It is the largest multi-sport stadium in India, hosting football competitions and athletics. On its three tiers, it can accommodate 120,000 spectators.

The leader is the May Day Stadium, located in Pyongyang (DPRK). So, the capacity of the largest stadium in the world is 150 thousand spectators. It was built for the festival of youth and students in 1989. In shape, it resembles a magnolia flower thanks to the sixteen arches that form a ring. Although the arena is used for home football matches of the DPRK national team, however, its main purpose is to hold the Arirang festival - a mass musical and gymnastic performance included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most grandiose show in the world. This one is also unique in that it is not dedicated to either Kim Jong Il or Kim Il Sung, which is remarkable in itself.

Useful information for sports fans

A lot has already been said about sports facilities in the world, but what about our country? So, the largest stadium in Russia is without a doubt the Luzhniki stadium. It is located near Sparrow Hills in Moscow and is the home stadium for the Russian national football team. Now its capacity is only 78,360 spectators, and not only sports competitions, but also concerts are held here. The opening of Luzhniki took place in July 1956, and now many memorable events. These include the flight of the Olympic bear in 1980, in 1990 the last concert of the Kino group together with Viktor Tsoi was held here, and in 1998 UEFA included it in the list of five-star European football stadiums. By the way, in 2018 this stadium will host the final of the World Cup. because of last reason It is planned to carry out the reconstruction of the Luzhniki, after which its capacity will be 90 thousand spectators.

The largest indoor stadiums in the world include:

• "National Stadium", Warsaw, its capacity is 72900 people
• "Friends Arena", Stockholm, capacity about 50 thousand
• Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, capacity 110 thousand people (unlike the two stadiums mentioned above, it does not host football competitions, and, by the way, it is one of the five most expensive stadiums in the world)

The management of "Barcelona" announced that it is planned to build a new stadium, which will be the largest indoor stadium in Europe. Its capacity should be 105 thousand spectators. But whether it will be built on the site of the Camp Nou or elsewhere remains a mystery.

In our article, we talked about football stadiums, but there is another sport that is world-famous, the World Championship of which ended recently - this is hockey. True, the difference in the capacity of ice arenas and football stadiums can testify to the huge difference in their popularity. An example is the capacity of the largest hockey stadiums in the Continental League:

Football fans create an extraordinary atmosphere during important responsible matches. Hymns, songs and other "chants" are a weapon of support for your favorite team, which transfers the charge for the fight and the energy of the winner from the fan to the players.

Modern technologies and large investments make it possible to design magnificent stadiums that meet the highest standards. With the support of fans, football becomes a real spectacle that leaves behind a lot of positive and negative emotions.

It is very important that the stadium is not only large, but also properly designed, and also meets all safety and comfort standards.

Which stadiums have the most unforgettable atmosphere?

Introducing the largest and most modern arenas.

Old Trafford (England)

The oldest magnificent arena "Old Trafford" can accommodate 76,000 seats. The legendary football team Manchester United has been playing here since 1910. At Old Trafford, the atmosphere of the Manchester derby is perfectly conveyed - a powerful confrontation against sworn rivals Manchester City. Such legendary players as Eric Cantona, Bobby Charlton, Wayne Rooney (still plays for the team), David Beckham, etc. played on the field of this great stadium.

"Poor fellow - Trafford" during the Second World War was subject to heavy bombardment and was restored for a long time after the war.

To visit Old Trafford means to feel the spirit of Manchester.

Maracana (Brazil)

Magnificent, unique, true Brazilian - Maracanã stadium. Since 1950, he has been a symbol of Brazilian football life. When "Maracana" lives for the next match, the whole of Rio de Janeiro begins to boil from the heat of the passions of football fans. The capacity of the Brazilian stadium is 79,000 seats. At one time, the stadium set several world attendance records. The first international match at this stadium gathered a huge number of Brazilians - 199 thousand people. Crazy result!

Since then, the stadium has been the home of the national team and the Brazilian clubs Fluminense and Flamengo.

Stade de France (France)

AT this moment this "handsome man", accommodating 80 thousand people, hosts the games of Euro 2016, where crazy battles unfold (unfortunately, without the participation of the Russian team) and intrigues. Also, the final battle of the tournament will take place at the Stade de France. The French stadium was created by the 1998 World Cup held in this country.

The security system at the stadium has been strengthened against the backdrop of recent events related to the attacks. The Parisian football "nest" uses the most modern systems lighting and lawn care technologies. The Stade de France is a luxury stadium, not only by the standards of France, but of the whole world.

Santiago Bernabeu (Spain)

The 81,000-seat "royal" stadium was named after the head of the great star team Real Madrid. The construction of the arena was completed in 1947 and currently has the best UEFA category. The Santiago Stadium has hosted the finals of the biggest football tournaments several times: Champions League, European Championship and World Cup. The last Champions League final was held here in 2010, and then the victory was celebrated by the Italian Inter, led by Jose Mourinho.

"Santiago Bernabeu" has become a benchmark for all modern stadiums, where the "royal" club with great history continues to crush rivals, leaving no chance of survival.

Giuseppe Meazza (Italy)

The Milan stadium, also known as the San Siro, is named after the legend of Italian football and Inter Milan, Giuseppa Meazza. On this arena, the enmity between the two Milan clubs Inter and Milan does not stop, which turns into a real battlefield, not only for teams, but also for fans.

The San Siro was first opened in 1926 and had a capacity of 35 thousand seats, but after the modernization of 1940, the stadium began to gradually expand. Since then, the Italian stadium has been reconstructed several times and only in 1955, it received its current name. Now Giuseppe Meazza has a capacity of 86,500 seats. The name "Giuseppe Meazza" is used by Inter fans, while Milan fans refer to the stadium in the old style.

Wembley (England)

We return to England. London Wembley - new page in the history of the country. The renovation of the stadium took place in 2007 on the site of the previous Old Wembley. The stadium has a capacity of 90 thousand seats, which is the 2nd indicator in Europe. The Olympic Stadium is the home arena of the national team and has the fourth category of UEFA assessment. In 2012, the handsome stadium hosted the final of the Summer Olympic Games in football, and a year later the final of the UEFA Champions League. Wembley is the permanent symbol of football England in recent history.

Camp Nou (Spain)

Barcelona is a great club with a great history. The Camp Nou stadium opened in 1957. The largest stadium in Europe can accommodate 99,300 fans. One of the best stars of our time, Lionel Messi, was “born” at this stadium. This stadium has hosted many finals of international tournaments including European Championships, World Championships, etc.

Also, the stadium is an excellent venue for performances by singers, dancers and musicians of world renown, including the names of Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra. El Clasico at Camp Nou is the most anticipated event of the entire season for Catalan fans. After the victory over Real Madrid, a real extravaganza begins at the stadium, which spreads throughout the city and the celebration does not stop until the morning.

A huge number of fans who came to the stadium to support their favorite team, or spectators hurrying there to see the concert of their favorite band, create a unique impression.

There are many wonderful stadiums in the world that can gather a huge number of people under their roof. These reconstructed or newly built stadiums attract thousands of people, and the teams that come to the competitions or football matches are always provided with the strong support of their fans.

The largest stadium in the world today was built in North Korea (DPRK) - its capital Pyongyang. This stadium is called May Day Stadium. It was built in 1989 to host the XIII Festival of Youth and Students, and the stadium can accommodate 150,000 spectators. In its shape, it is similar to a magnolia flower. This is possible due to the peculiar architecture - the stadium design consists of six arches arranged in a circle.

May Day Stadium

This largest stadium in the world is used for football matches of the national team and for the most grandiose show in the world, which was inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records, the Arirang Festival. A feature of this musical and gymnastic show is a "live screen" located on one of the stands.

Arirang Festival

On the screen, festival participants create images using thousands of multi-colored plates, which they hold in their hands and change at the same time on command. Performances are held on the theme of glorifying the state idea of ​​Juche, a prosperous and strong power.

The largest stadium in the world accommodates not only a huge number of spectators - about one hundred thousand people are involved in the performance taking place on it, laureates of various Korean and international competitions, pupils and students. And many tourists go to the DPRK specifically to see Arirang.

After its official opening in 1950 and before reconstruction, the Maracana stadium was considered the largest stadium in the world, which could accommodate 199,850 spectators at the same time. That's how many people came to the match between the hosts of the stadium and the team of Uruguay.

Maracana Stadium

But after FIFA's requirements for mandatory numbering of seats and reconstruction of the stadium, some of the spectators could only watch the matches while standing, the number of seats decreased to 89,838 (for the 2014 World Championship, at the request of FIFA, the number of seats was reduced to 73,531), and the stadium lost its status as the most large.

Russia also has big stadiums built or reconstructed according to modern rules and standards. However, among them, the largest stadium in Russia today is the Luzhniki Stadium, where the Spartak and CSK football teams train. Its construction began in 1955; this stadium was erected in the central part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex. In 1980, the Olympic Games competitions were held at the stadium, and a famous symbol, the Olympic Bear, rose into the sky from it.

Luzhniki Stadium

Both the complex and the stadium originally bore the name of V.I. Lenin, but after privatization, in 1992, the name of V.I. Lenin from the name "Sports Complex "Luzhniki"" was removed.

Associated with the "Olympic" tragic story- in 1982 At the match for the UEFA Cup on October 20 between the Spartak and Haarley teams, part of the spectators decided to leave the stadium and collided with new fans entering the icy steps. As a result, 66 people died.

The largest stadium in Russia seats 89,318 people, after privatization in 1997, a curtain was built over the stands, which changed the microclimate for the worse, making it more stuffy. As a result, the grass covering the stadium began to grow poorly, and after receiving the appropriate permission from UEFA, an artificial turf was laid at the stadium.

Since 2013, Olimpiyskiy has been closed for renovation. It is assumed that at the 2018 FIFA World Cup the largest stadium in Russia will be one of the main football venues.