Wales

Welsh Football Stadiums overview

Football Ground Guide currently has in-depth guides on a total of 24 stadiums throughout Wales. However, rather interestingly, not all of them are homes to teams that actually compete in the Welsh football pyramid. 

In fact, a total of four Welsh teams instead play their football in the English Football League, they are Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham AFC and Newport County. 

Of the remaining 20 guides we offer, 10 are for sides currently competing in the Welsh Premier League – the top flight of football in the country. The other 10 grounds are homes to teams currently competing in the lower divisions of Welsh football. 

All 24 guides can be accessed via this page, and the four aforementioned sides that also compete in the English football system can also be accessed through the English stadiums page. 

By Region/City

Despite being a relatively small country, Wales has two of the most iconic cities when it comes to football in the United Kingdom, namely, Cardiff and Swansea. 

Of course, the two biggest clubs in the country play their football in those two respective cities, but there are plenty more teams in Wales spread across the entire country. 

Let’s have a look at what football teams play in Wales’ major cities.

Cardiff

Well, we cannot talk about football teams in Cardiff without touching on Cardiff City. Depending on which side of the debate you fall on, they are arguably the biggest Welsh club and have even represented the country in the English Premier League. 

The full list of Cardiff-based football teams on the Football Ground Guide site is:

• Cardiff City – Cardiff City Stadium
• Cardiff Metropolitan – Cyncoed Campus Stadium

Swansea

Unlike their fierce rivals Cardiff, Swansea is a true one club city and, other than a handful of amateur sides, Swansea City are the only major football team to call the city of Swansea home. 

Much like Cardiff City, the Swans have also reached the pinnacle of English football having played in the Premier League. They play their football at a relatively modern ground that was opened in 2005 and has a capacity of just over 21,000. 

South Wales

A list of ground guides for other teams located within the South of Wales is as follows:

• Newport County – Rodney Parade
• Barry Town United – Jenner Park Stadium
• Carmarthen Town – Cymru Tyres Stadium
• Haverfordwest County – Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium

North Wales

Those three clubs are three of the largest in South Wales, but what about North Wales?

While the South may be the home of the two biggest clubs in the country, there are plenty of historic and iconic clubs that call the North home. 

Wrexham, who are one of the oldest clubs in the world, play in this region (albeit they compete in English football) while teams such as Bangor, Aberswythe and Colwyn Bay all play in this region. 

A list of ground guides for major teams located within the North of Wales is as follows:

• Wrexham AFC – Racecourse Ground
• Aberystwyth Town – Park Avenue Stadium
• Bala Town – Maes Tegid
• Caernarfon Town –The Oval
• Cefn Druids – Rock Stadium
• Connah’s Quah Nomads – Deeside College Stadium
• Newtown – Latham Park
• The New Saints – Park Hall Stadium
• Bangor City – Bangor University Stadium

What are Welsh stadiums like?

This depends on what stadium you go to in the country. The home grounds of both Swansea and Cardiff are incredibly modern, larger and more comparable to other major venues across Europe than the vast majority of stadiums in Wales. 

However, they are in the minority and most football stadiums in the country are smaller, more traditional grounds that prioritise a throwback matchday experience in which fans are sat/stood much closer to the pitch. 

In both cases, these stadiums have incredible atmospheres in most games and provide exceptional matchday experiences. 

Key stats

Biggest stadiums in Wales

The Millennium Stadium, also known as the Principality Stadium, is far and away the largest football venue in Wales with a capacity of over 74,000, although it is used predominantly for rugby rather than football. 

Therefore, the largest football-specific stadium in the country is the Cardiff City Stadium – boasting a capacity of a little over 33,000. 

A list of the top five biggest football stadiums in Wales is as follows:

• Principality Stadium – 74,500
• Cardiff City Stadium – 33,316
• Swansea.com Stadium – 21,088
• Racecourse Ground – 13,060
• Rodney Parade – 5,744

Best atmospheres

Wales fans are famous for being extremely patriotic and as a result, they support their national team incredibly well. For that reason, the Principality Stadium during a Wales international football game has an exceptional atmosphere despite being a very large venue. 

In the Cymru Premier League, Bala Town’s Maes Tegid ground is held in very high regard by match-going fans in the division, with many enjoying the stadium’s compact design and lively atmosphere. 

In truth, due to the small size of grounds in Wales, the vast majority of Cymru Premier League stadiums will have a fantastic atmosphere. 

Oldest and most recent stadiums

Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Ground is not only the oldest in Wales, but one of the oldest stadiums in world football, having first opened over 200 years ago in 1807. However, it was originally used as a cricket venue, and wouldn’t host its first football match until 1864. 

Not too far behind that date is Newport County’s Rodney Place, which first opened in 1877, marking its status as one of the most historic clubs in the country. 

At the other end of the spectrum is Cardiff Matropoltian’s Cyncoed Campus Stadium is the newest stadium currently hosting Welsh Premier League football, having been opened in 2011. 

Past major European football matches in Wales

Despite being a relatively small country, its football heritage, as well as having the benefit of possessing some terrific venues, means that Wales has a significant track record of successfully hosting major European football matches. 

2014 UEFA Super Cup

One of those very matches was the 2014 UEFA Super Cup, contested between Real Madrid and Sevilla, which was hosted at the Cardiff City Stadium in front of a crowd of 30,854. 

2017 UEFA Champions League Final

Three years later, major European football again returned to Wales, this time in the form of the Champions League final. 

On this occasion, the chosen host for the match was the Principality Stadium as Real Madrid charged towards a 4-1 victory over Juventus in front of 65,842 supporters from all over the world. 

Euro 2028

Next up for Wales is the 2028 European Championships, which will be hosted across Ireland and the United Kingdom. 

There will be a total of 10 host stadiums, of which the Principality Stadium in Cardiff will be one of them. 

It will be the first time any ground in Wales has hosted matches in a major international tournament and will be an iconic moment in the country’s history.