The 20 Biggest Soccer Stadiums in the World | OneFootball

The 20 Biggest Soccer Stadiums in the World | OneFootball

Icon: SI Soccer

SI Soccer

·24 December 2024

The 20 Biggest Soccer Stadiums in the World

Article image:The 20 Biggest Soccer Stadiums in the World

Soccer is the world's most popular sport, and as such, needs some big stadiums to accommodate its billions of fans.

Here, Sports Illustrated has listed the 20 biggest in the world, including venues from the United States, England, and India.


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20. MetLife Stadium

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MetLife Stadium. / IMAGO/Icon Sportswire

Capacity: 82,566Costing $1.7 billion to build, MetLife Stadium is one of the most expensive sports venues in the world.While typically it serves as the home for NFL teams the New York Giants and the New York Jets, it has also hosted countless soccer games over the years, and is set to hold the final of the 2026 World Cup.

19. Accor Stadium

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Accor Stadium. / Bryan West / USA TODAY NETWORK

Capacity: 83,500Accor Stadium, also known as Stadium Australia, was built to host the 2000 Olympic Games. Originally holding 115,000 spectators, its capacity was reduced in the early 2000s. The stadium hosted five games, including the final, at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and is also regularly used by Australia’s men’s national soccer team.

18. Estadio Más Monumental

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Estadio Mas Monumental. / IMAGO/Photogamma

Capacity: 84,567Situated in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Estadio Más Monumental is the home of the legendary soccer club River Plate.The biggest sports venue in not only Argentina but the whole of South America, the stadium hosted the 1978 World Cup final—which was won by Argentina—and the Copa America final in both 1987 and 2011.

17. Salt Lake Stadium

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Salt Lake Stadium. / IMAGO/Pacific Press Agency

Capacity: 85,000Salt Lake Stadium, officially known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, is the largest soccer stadium in India.Located in Salt Lake City, Greater Kolkata, the stadium is the home of East Bengal FC, though the team rarely fills out the ground, averaging around 20,000 spectators per game.

16. Borg El-Arab Stadium

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Borg El-Arab Stadium. / Khaled Desouki/AFP

Capacity: 86,000Egypt's Borg El-Arab Stadium, which is located in Amreya, was originally commissioned as one of five international-standard stadiums for Egypt's bid to host the 2010 World Cup.FIFA, however, instead awarding the tournament to South Africa.The stadium hasn't completely gone to waste, though. Today, it's used by Egypt's national team, as well as various teams in the Egyptian Premier League.

15. Bukit Jalil National Stadium

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Bukit Jalil National Stadium. / IMAGO/AFLOSPORT

Capacity: 87,411Bukit Jalil National Stadium, located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is the largest stadium in Southeast Asia, with a capacity of 87,411. Opened in 1998, it serves as the home ground for the Malaysia national soccer team.

14. Estadio Azteca

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Estadio Azteca. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Capacity: 87,523Located in Tlalpan, Mexico City, the iconic Estadio Azteca is the official home of Liga MX side Club América, as well as the Mexico national team.It has hosted two World Cup finals, first in 1970 and again in 1986, and is also where Diego Maradona scored his infamous "Hand of God" goal against England. While the stadium has a current capacity of 87,523, a record 132,247 squeezed in to watch a boxing match between Julio César Chávez and Greg Haugen in February 1993.

13. Lusail Stadium

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Lusail Stadium. / Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images

Capacity: 88,966Lusail Stadium was one of eight stadiums built for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and hosted the final between Argentina and France.In 2024, it also hosted the final of the Intercontinental Cup, which saw Real Madrid beat Mexican side Pachuca.

12. Wembley Stadium

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Wembley Stadium. / IMAGO/Paul Marriott

Capacity: 91,000London's Wembley Stadium is perhaps the most iconic venue in world soccer.Opened in 2007 on the site of the original stadium of the same name, the stadium is crowned by the 134-meter-high arch, which is visible far and wide across the English capital. England's national soccer team plays most of its games here, while it also hosts both the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals.

11. Beijing National Stadium

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Beijing National Stadium. / Rob Schumacher-Imagn Images

Capacity: 91,100Commonly known as the Bird’s Nest because, well, it looks a bit like one, the Beijing National Stadium was built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.It's since been used, however, during the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, as well as by China's national soccer teams.It cost $423 million to build.

10. Cotton Bowl Stadium

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The Cotton Bowl Stadium. / NICK WAGNER/AMERICAN-STATESMAN] / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Capacity: 92,100The Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, has been home to a number of football teams over the years, including the SMU Mustangs, the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Texans.It is also the former home of soccer teams the Dallas Tornado and FC Dallas, and was one of the nine venues utilized for the 1994 World Cup.

9. Sanford Stadium

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Sanford Stadium. / IMAGO/Dreamstime

Capacity: 92,746Located in Athens, Georgia, Sanford Stadium is home to the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team. Opened way back in 1929, the 92,746-seater also hosted the soccer tournament at the 1996 Olympic Games.

8. Rose Bowl Stadium

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Rose Bowl Stadium. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Capacity: 92,800The Rose Bowl, located in Pasadena, California, is one of the most iconic sports stadiums in the United States.Opened in 1922 and boasting a capacity of 92,800, it is best known for hosting the annual Rose Bowl Game, but it also commonly hosts soccer games.During the 1994 World Cup, the stadium was host to eight fixtures including the final.

7. FNB Stadium

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Soccer City. / IMAGO/Imagebroker

Capacity: 94,736Better known as Soccer City, South Africa's First National Bank Stadium (or simply FNB Stadium), was opened in 1989.Situated in Johannesburg, it is best known for hosting the 2010 World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands. It was also the site of Nelson Mandela's last public appearance before his death in 2013, as well as his memorial service.

6. New Administrative Capital Stadium

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New Administrative Capital Stadium. / Getty Images/FIFA/

Capacity: 94,940Opened in June 2023, the New Administrative Capital Stadium, also known as Misr Stadium, is Egypt's largest stadium and the second-largest in the whole of Africa.Holding just under 95,000 people, its roof is designed to represent the headdress and the royal necklace of the Ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti.Egypt's national soccer team plays its matches here.

5. Camp Nou

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Camp Nou. / IMAGO/Xinhua

Capacity: 99,354Camp Nou, located in Barcelona, Spain, is the largest soccer stadium in Europe.Home to the legendary FC Barcelona, the stadium, which opened in 1957, has a current capacity of 99,354, though that will increase to 105,000 upon the completion of renovations which began in June 2023.

4. Melbourne Cricket Ground

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Melbourne Cricket Ground. / IMAGO/Hasenkopf

Capacity: 100,024Despite its misleading name, Melbourne Cricket Ground is actually a multi-sports venue.In the summer, it primarily hosts cricket, while in the winter, it's the stage for Australian football, also known as Aussie Rules. On occasion, it also hosts soccer, including World Cup qualifiers and friendlies for the Australian national team, the Socceroos.

3. Ohio Stadium

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Ohio Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Capacity: 102,780Known as "The Horseshoe" due to its unique design, Ohio Stadium holds no less than 102,780 people and is the home of Ohio State University Buckeyes football team.From 1996 to 1998, it was also the home venue of Major League Soccer outfit Columbus Crew.Chelsea and Manchester City faced off here in the 2024 Florida Cup.

2. Michigan Stadium

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Michigan Stadium. / IMAGO/Sportimage

Capacity: 107,601Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Michigan Stadium is the largest soccer venue in the United States, with an official capacity of 107,601.Opened in 1927 and affectionately nicknamed "The Big House", it's most well-known for being the home of the University of Michigan Wolverines football team, but it also hosts soccer games from time to time.

1. Rungrado 1st of May Stadium

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Rungrado 1st of May Stadium. / IMAGO/Deposit Photos

Capacity: 114,000Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, located in Pyongyang, North Korea, is, by some margin, the world’s largest soccer stadium, boasting a staggering capacity of 114,000. Originally, it actually held upwards of 150,000 people, but its capacity was reduced during renovations in 2014.North Korea's national soccer teams play here.

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