From Europe to the Americas, and Africa to Asia, the biggest football stadiums in the world vary in design and capacity.
The unique features that distinguish one venue from another give these stadiums a special appeal to millions of fans worldwide.
These colossal arenas, from the historic Maracana in Brazil to the sprawling Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea, are more than just venues – they are symbols of cultural pride and global passion.
Read on to find out which venues dominate our list of the top 15 biggest football stadiums in the world.
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Top 15 biggest football stadiums in the world
We could have settled on any big stadium in the world but our list is based on extensive research and fact-finding. Below, we present to you the 15 biggest football stadiums in the world.
15. Stade de France
- Location: Saint-Denis, France
- Opened: 1998
- Seating Capacity: 81,338
- Construction Cost: €364m
Built before the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the Stade de France hosted the tournament’s opening and final games. It has also hosted four UEFA Champions League finals (2000, 2006, 2022) and three Rugby World Cup finals, (1999, 2007, 2023) and athletics during the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The Stade de France has a movable stand that unveils an athletics track without ruining the spectator experience during football matches when supporters prefer to be closer to the pitch.
Despite its clear value as a football ground, no professional club plays its matches here regularly. Paris Saint-Germain spurned the opportunity to do so upon its construction in 1998. PSG have instead remained at the Parc des Princes.
Today, Stade France is regarded as not only France's national arena but also one of the biggest football stadiums in the world. Apart from being a popular Champions League finals stadium, the venue also hosts multiple other sports and concerts.
Stade France has a capacity of 80,000 seats and took nearly three years to build between 2 June 1995 and 28 January 1998. Moreover, Stade France was designed by Michel Macary, Michel Regembal, and Aymeric Zublena.
14. Signal Iduna Park
- Location: Dortmund, Germany
- Opened: 1974
- Seating Capacity: 81,365
- Construction Cost: €200 million in 2006
Signal Iduna Park is the home of German outfit Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund are undoubtedly one of the top European clubs, and the 81 365-capacity Signa Iduna adds to that flair.
Constructed in 1974 as one of the stadiums that hosted the 1974 World Cup, Signal Iduna Park has gone on to create a brand for itself. The stands are very close to the pitch, creating an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams and fans. With that, Signal Iduna Park is ranked highly among top European football venues with the best atmospheres. The ground is also home to the largest free-standing stand among European stadiums, as it can hold 25,000 spectators. This stand is also nicknamed the ‘Yellow Wall’.
Unlike most stadiums in Europe, which have eliminated standing spaces, Signal Iduna Park still offers fans the option of purchasing stand-only tickets.
Over the years, several modifications to the stadium have reduced its original capacity and standing areas have been reduced to seated rows. As one of the biggest football stadiums in the world, Signal Iduna Park hosted several games during the World Cups in 1974 and 2006.
While this is slightly lower on our list, the presence of standing fans certainly creates a unique vibe—and we hope things remain this way in the future.
Signal Iduna Park was also among the Euro 2024 stadiums, including the semi-final match between Netherlands and England. The Three Lions defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the encounter at the iconic venue.
13. Jakarta International Stadium
- Location: North Jakarta, Indonesia
- Opened: 2022
- Seating Capacity: 82,000
- Construction Cost: $312m
The home ground of Persija Jakarta and the semi-regular home of Indonesia’s national side, this 82,000-capacity ground is the largest football-specific arena in Asia.
Furthermore, it's the biggest football stadium in the world with a retractable roof and the second-largest stadium of any kind with a retractable roof, behind the Texan AT&T Stadium.
The ground hosted 16 matches at the 2023 FIFA U17 World Cup.
12. Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
- Location: 1947
- Opened: Madrid, Spain
- Seating Capacity: 83,186
- Construction Cost: €1.7 million (but recent renovation costs have soared to $1.5bn)
Stadium redevelopment is the big thing now, especially with the growing fanbase. The desire to increase seating capacity and make stadiums even more welcoming with the best atmosphere has seen many football clubs like Real Madrid embark on ambitious redevelopment projects.
With that, as another ground to undergo a significant renovation in recent times, the home of Real Madrid remains imposing in size and appearance, but now with an added spaceship-style exterior.
The Bernabeu, named after a former club president, has hosted four European Cup/UEFA Champions League finals (1957, 1969, 1980, 2010), the 2018 Copa Libertadores final, the 1964 Euros final and the 1984 World Cup final.
Spain’s second-largest stadium, Real Madrid have played at the Bernabeu since 1947.
Moreover, Los Blancos' home ground is highly ranked among venues that have hosted UEFA Champions League fixtures. A match at the Santiago Bernabeu always feels different, especially on European and El Classico nights.
11. Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti
- Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Opened: 1938
- Seating Capacity: 83,198
- Construction Cost: $3m (initial construction, several renovations since)
The home of Argentinian giants River Plate, the iconic El Monumental hosted the 1978 World Cup final and four Copa America finals, most recently in 2011.
Recent renovations have removed the athletics track and expanded its capacity to over 83,000. When the renovation is fully completed, the capacity will be 84,567. That work should be done in 2024.
10. Stadium Australia
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Opened: 1999
- Seating Capacity: 83,500
- Construction Cost: A$690m
Currently known as the Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, Stadium Australia was built ahead of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. It was opened in March 1999 with a rugby league double-header, which attracted 104,583 supporters. After the Olympics, the stadium was reconfigured, reducing its capacity to 80,000 but it remains one of the biggest football stadiums in the world.
The largest ‘soccer’ stadium in Australia, this ground hosts crucial matches for the Socceroos, the Australian national football team. Furthermore, Sydney FC have played several fixtures at the ground, normally exhibition matches against foreign opponents. The A-League All-Stars have done the same.
In 2023, Stadium Australia hosted five matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, including the opening match and the final.
The ground is a multi-sports venue that hosts rugby league, rugby union, cricket, Aussie rules football, motorsports, American football, and music concerts.
The Bee Gees were the first to perform there, with AC/DC, U2, Bon Jovi, Eminem, Taylor Swift, Guns N’ Roses, Adele, Justin Bieber, the Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Harry Styles and The Weekend following. Coldplay is scheduled to play here in 2024.
9. Borg El-Arab Stadium
- Location: Borg El Arab, Egypt
- Opened: 2009
- Seating Capacity: 86,000
- Construction Cost: €200 million in 2006
This is the third largest stadium in Africa and sits behind only the FNB Stadium in terms of total capacity. It's also behind the New Administrative Capital Stadium, which hasn't yet hosted a game.
Until the latter is officially opened, the 86,000-capacity Borg El-Arab Stadium is by a comfortable margin the largest in Egypt.
Unlike many other stadiums of its kind, it has been air-conditioned in many places so that the extreme weather conditions in this part of the world are combated with great efficiency. The designers have put in a massive effort to ensure that the stadium offers every type of facility—including two sub-stadiums with a capacity of 2,000 spectators.
The Egypt national football team calls this stadium home. It recently made history after becoming the ground from which Egypt qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1990. Apart from a football pitch, the Borg El-Arab Stadium also has running tracks and other sections for the Olympic Games.
You can just imagine the noise in this stadium, too, when players such as Mohamed Salah take to the field to represent the Egyptian national team. At full capacity, the atmosphere is electric, although we imagine the seats in the shade are like gold dust, given the heat in this part of the world.
8. Bukit Jalil National Stadium
- Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Opened: 1998
- Seating Capacity: 87,411
- Construction Cost: RM800 million
The Malaysian national football team may not be high on the FIFA rankings, but that does not stop the national team from having one of the biggest football stadiums in the world.
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium, built for RM800 million, is a colossus that can hold more than 87,000 spectators. It is the largest stadium of its kind in Southeast Asia. Therefore, it is not surprising that it has hosted many other events besides the Malaysian national team's matches.
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium has hosted the Commonwealth Games, Southeast Asian Games, and more. This multisport venue has a roof and is largely constructed of reinforced concrete. Despite being relatively new, major renovation works have already been carried out, bringing in much-needed features like new facilities and LED lighting.
More features are in the works, such as retractable seats, retractable roofs, and lifestyle facilities will also be included in the stadium as part of the upcoming renovation works.
As you can probably tell from the photo, this stadium is pretty high, too, so with the retractable roof in full flow, it must be incredibly loud, vibrant, and awesome to play in. As stated before, Malaysia isn't a prestigious footballing nation, but since this is one of the largest stadiums in the world, we imagine it is intimidating for travelling teams!
7. Estadio Azteca
- Location: Mexico City, Mexico
- Opened: 1966
- Seating Capacity: 87,525
- Construction Cost: MXN$260 million
An iconic image in Mexico City would be the Estadio Azteca, the home turf of the Mexican national team, Cruz Azul, and Club America. One of the major reasons behind the stadium being steeped in history is the prestige of hosting two World Cup finals – 1970 and 1986.
This stadium also witnessed one of the iconic moments in world football when Diego Maradona came up with the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.
Estadio Azteca is also widely regarded for hosting the game between Italy and West Germany in 1970. This encounter is regarded as a ‘Game of the Century’ and it witnessed Italy coming out on top with a 4-3 score after extra time.
Estadio Azteca can add more feathers to its proverbial cap, considering it is in line to host games at the World Cup 2026. Apart from the World Cup, Estadio Azteca has also been the destination for the Summer Olympics and the Women's World Cup in the past.
The stadium has not shown its age even now, as frequent renovation works have consistently added new features like LED panels and new leisure spaces. Recently, the addition of executive boxes has reduced the capacity to 87,000. However, it remains one of the biggest football stadiums in the world.
If you were to contemplate visiting any stadium in Mexico, this one would rank highly on the list – for all the reasons previously mentioned. It’s a holy place for football in Mexico, and since it has hosted so many prestigious games in the past, the Estadio Azteca isn’t only one of the biggest, it’s one of the most iconic stadiums on this list.
6. Wembley Stadium
- Location: London, England
- Opened: 2007
- Seating Capacity: 90,000
- Construction Cost: £789 million in 2007
Wembley is an iconic destination for football fans in England and across the globe. There was a lot of scepticism when the English Football Association decided to take down the original Wembley, known as the Empire Stadium, upon its 1923 opening – which was regarded as the home of football – in favour of a new ground.
This new stadium opened in 2007 at a whopping cost of almost £800 million, which, in current value, would translate to a figure of £1.3 billion.
Despite the extravagant cost, the new Wembley justified its image as one of the premier football destinations and is ranked among the top five of the biggest football stadiums in the world. Home of the England national team and all domestic finals in English football, it also hosts high-profile music concerts underneath its iconic arch.
The stadium hosts 90,000 under a non-retractable roof – making it the biggest of its category. Wembley has also hosted a couple of UEFA Champions League finals and the UEFA Euro 2020 final, in which Italy beat hosts England. Wembley is among the selected venues for Euro 2028.
5. Lusail Stadium
- Location: Lusail, Qatar
- Opened: 2021
- Seating Capacity: 88,966
- Construction Cost: Unknown
The second-largest football stadium used in recent times, the 2022 World Cup host stadium will soon have its capacity reduced from 88,966 to 40,000 with the tournament completed.
The Lusail Stadium hosted the 2022 World Cup final, six group stage games, and a fixture in each of the Round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals.
The construction of the ground came under scrutiny with investigations from several media outlets that alleged thousands of migrant workers had died during the construction of World Cup venues in Qatar.
4. New Administrative Capital Stadium
- Location: New Administrative Capital, Egypt
- Opened: 2019
- Seating Capacity: 93,940
- Construction Cost: £40bn (total cost of sports complex – exact stadium cost unknown)
Expected to replace the Cairo International Stadium (75,000) as Egypt’s national football stadium, the New Administrative Capital Stadium – has been designed by Italian architects SHESA Architects and MJW Structures. These companies were also responsible for Turin’s Juventus Stadium and Cameroon’s Paul Biya Stadium.
While the name might be uninspiring for some, the design is impressive and is based on the headdress of the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti. A capacity of 93,940 notwithstanding, it is now one of the biggest football stadiums in the world.
The stadium will sit at the heart of a larger sports complex with a training ground, indoor halls and an Olympic swimming pool. The construction of this ground is part of Egypt’s 2030 World Cup bid and the 2036 Olympic Games.
3. FNB Stadium
- Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
- Opened: 1989
- Seating Capacity: 94,736
- Construction Cost: $440 million
The FNB Stadium is the largest of its kind in Africa and it primarily hosts rugby union and football matches. It can be quite an intimidating place, given its size. The ground has been utilised for various purposes in the past, but it is best known for hosting the World Cup 2010 final match between Netherlands and Spain.
The FNB Stadium is also the home ground for the South African national team, and it hosts the home games of domestic outfit Kaizer Chiefs.
The stadium is also quite special because it featured Nelson Mandela's last public appearance. Even though the stadium has been around since 1987, the major renovation work in 2010 for the World Cup brought about many new features, like executive suites, a new roof, floodlights, and changing rooms.
Apart from hosting the World Cup games, the FNB Stadium has also excelled at hosting Africa Cup of Nations games.
Coming in at number three, it’s already quite clear that the FNB Stadium is one of the best there is among the biggest football stadiums in the world, but the sheer size and aesthetics aren’t the star of the show, in our opinion. When you look back at games played here for the 2010 World Cup, the atmosphere was just incredible, with the now-infamous vuvuzelas echoing all over the stadium.
2. Camp Nou
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
- Opened: 1957
- Seating Capacity: 99,354
- Construction Cost: €1.73 billion
Camp Nou hosts FC Barcelona and has a distinction as one of the biggest football stadiums in the world. It is easily the largest in Spain, with a capacity of almost 100,000.
This is an impressive feat for an all-seater stadium. Over the years, the ground has hosted every conceivable major tournament or game. It has hosted games at the World Cup and Euros, the UEFA Champions League finals, and the Summer Olympics, which the city of Barcelona hosted in 1992.
The iconic ground, which has never had a roof, allowing for a magnificent vista over the city as a whole, is undergoing major renovations currently. That leaves FC Barcelona playing elsewhere. Camp Nou will have a roof and an even larger capacity when the renovations are complete.
1. Rungrado 1st of May Stadium
- Location: Pyongyang, North Korea
- Opened: 1989
- Seating Capacity: 114,000
- Construction Cost: Unknown
At the top of the biggest football stadiums in the world is the mysterious Rungrado 1st of May stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. The venue covers an area of almost 21 hectares. It is the home ground of the North Korean national football team and also hosts many other events.
Opened in 1989, little is known about the true details of this ground. It has a stunning roof with 16 concrete arches evocating a parachute—though they were designed to resemble a lotus blossom—and an enormous capacity of at least 115,000. There is some suggestion that this could be an underestimation of how many supporters can fit in.
It's also pretty incredible that the biggest stadium in the world was built as a petty response to neighbours South Korea constructing the Seoul Olympic Stadium. North Korea wanted to make a statement, and they did. How much it cost them isn't known.
The ground is situated on Rungra Island, stands eight stories high and covers 207,000 square metres. Its name is derived from its opening date: May Day 1989.
Fun facts about the biggest stadium in the world
More than £5 billion in construction costs
When you adjust the listed prices for inflation, our list of the top 15 biggest football stadiums in the world would result in a rather head-spinning price tag of £5 billion plus, perhaps more. While the costs alone are staggering, imagine the man-hours needed to build such stadiums, too.
Capacities used to be much larger
This is something that our younger readers won’t be overly familiar with. Believe it or not, the biggest football stadiums in the world used to host many more spectators than they do now, as safety measures were brought in to restrict standing viewing following several disasters. Quite a few of them had capacities greater than 100,000 before these changes were brought in.
Wembley is best if you need a bathroom
Of all the interesting facts we could come up with about the biggest football stadiums in the world, Wembley is rather intriguing. If you’ve been to a football game before, you’ll likely know the ‘bathroom rush’ at half-time, and many people have struggled with this in the past. However, at Wembley, this ground has the most toilets of any other building in the world – perfect to avoid the half-time rush.
Rungrado Stadium could have a capacity greater than 150,000
The strange thing about this one is that while we’ve listed the capacity at 114,000, nobody truly knows what the exact figures are! North Korea is notorious for secrecy, and unless you’ve been to watch a game here, you wouldn’t know how things look on the inside or how the seating arrangements are.
Other huge stadiums which have hosted football
While the above 15 stadiums regularly host football matches, others occasionally host ‘soccer' games but were not built or designed for that purpose. These include:
The Rose Bowl
- Location: Pasadena, United States
- Opened: 1922
- Seating Capacity: 95,542
- Construction cost: $272,198; ($4.95 million in 2023)
It is not a secret that Americans are fans of big stadiums, and it is easy to come across behemoths in college football and NFL competitions.
Despite opening in the 1920s, the stadium started becoming a landmark in the world of football when it hosted the World Cup games in 1994. Since then, many clubs have used this ground as their host, with LA Galaxy being the most prominent tenant in recent years.
One common trait that the Rose Bowl shares with some of the biggest football stadiums in the world and many others in the United States is its lack of a roof, which contributed to an immense view when Brazil and Italy played each other in the World Cup 1994 final.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Location: East Melbourne, Australia
- Opened: 1853
- Seating Capacity: 100,024
- Construction Cost: $150 million in 1992 and $460 million in 2006
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is one of the most iconic sporting destinations and is ranked highly among the biggest football stadiums in the world. As the name suggests, it is mainly a cricket ground but often hosts exhibition football matches and some World Cup qualifiers.
Since the MCG has existed for a long time, constant renovation work has been conducted to keep it in tune with modern demands. The last major renovation took place in 2006, and it cost a sum of money that many new stadiums would baulk at.
What are the biggest football stadiums in the world? (not just football)
Now, if we look beyond football, here is an additional list of other stadiums in the world. Note that some of these are multi-purpose venues.
- Narendra Modi Stadium – 132,000
- Rungrado 1st of May Stadium – 114,000
- Michigan Stadium – 107,601
- Beaver Park – 106,572
- Kyle Field – 102,733
- Ohio Stadium – 102,780
- Tiger Stadium – 102,321
- Neyland Stadium – 101,915
- Darrel K Royal Memorial Stadium – 100,119
- Bryant-Denny Stadium – 100,077
- Melbourne Cricket Ground – 100,024
- Camp Nou – 99,354
- FNB Stadium – 94,736
- New Administrative Capital Stadium – 93,940
- Sanford Stadium – 92,746
- Lusail Stadium – 92,349
- Cotton Bowl – 92,100
- Rose Bowl – 90,888
- Wembley Stadium – 90,000
- Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – 88,548
- Jordan-Hare Stadium – 88,043
- Estadio Azteca – 87,525
- Bukit Jalil National Stadium – 87,411
- Memorial Stadium – 86,047
- Borg El-Arab Stadium – 86,000
- Stadium Australia – 83,500
- Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti – 83,198
- Estadio Santiago Bernabeu – 83,186
- MetLife Stadium – 82,500
- Croke Park – 82,300
- Jakarta International Stadium – 82,000
- Twickenham Stadium – 82,000
- Memorial Stadium – 81,500
- Lambeau Field – 81,441
- Signal Iduna Park – 81,365
- Stade de France – 81,338
- Luzhniki Stadium – 81,000
- Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium – 80,800
- Shah Alam Stadium – 80,372
- Camp Randall Stadium – 80,321
Notable missing grounds
There are some iconic football stadiums known for their size that you think might be missing from this list of the biggest football stadiums in the world. Well, here's what you need to know.
San Siro is the 43rd biggest sporting stadium in the world. The home of Inter Milan and AC Milan holds 80,018, meaning it sits just behind those listed above. The venue is named Giuseppe Mezza because he played for both teams that currently use San Siro as their home stadium. Most importantly, it is the largest stadium in Italy.
The AT&T Stadium, a potential host of the 2026 World Cup final, is ranked 45th on the list. The stadium has a retractable roof and currently serves as the home ground for the NFL side, the Dallas Cowboys.
Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana Stadium is the 51st-biggest.
Old Trafford is the 63rd-biggest stadium in the world. With a now-reduced capacity of around 73,000, the home of Manchester United is in need of renovation.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena is the world's 64th-biggest stadium.
After reading our article on the biggest football stadiums in the world, don't hesitate to look at our other articles, such as this one on the best football prediction site in the world.