The 2026-27 season is underway, and so too are UEFA's three European competitions, with the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League bringing together Europe's best.
Fans will be desperate to see their teams in action – Sunderland qualified for the Europa League to return to Europe for the first time in 53 years – so demand for tickets will naturally be high.
However, there may be particular venues that supporters would prefer to attend, and an easy way to sort through different stadiums may be to look at UEFA's stadium categories in order to see which arena would be best for you.
European football's governing body has a classification system for grounds in its competitions, with the very elite venues ranking in Category 4.
Here, Football Ground Guide explains how UEFA's stadium categories work.
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UEFA's stadium categories
UEFA split their stadium ranking system into four categories, with capacity playing a key role in determining which rank each stadium is placed in.
However, it is still important to note that stadiums' placements do not solely depend on capacity, as factors such as the quality and extent of broadcasting infrastructure, crowd safety systems and hospitality/VIP allocation also play key roles.
Nevertheless, a basic breakdown of the stadium rankings are as follows:
- Category 1: 200+ seats
- Category 2: 1,500+ seats
- Category 3: 4,500+ all-seated
- Category 4: 8,000+ all-seated
Category 1 and 2: What are UEFA's requirements?
Categories 1 and 2 generally only exist for smaller teams, or for grounds used in development football, meaning there are few requirements for grounds to be classified here.
UEFA typically sees Category 1 stadiums as suitable for local of amateur level football, while Category 2 arenas are seen as suitable for some qualifying rounds and youth matches in Europe.
No Premier League venue falls into either of these two rankings, and interestingly, any Premier League stadium that has hosted Champions League football in the last decade is automatically compliant as a UEFA Category 4 stadium.
Category 3: What are UEFA's requirements?
Category 3 stadiums are seen as fitting venues for matches in the early stages of UEFA competitions, but they often fall short of the Category 4 ranking due to broadcasting and hospitality issues.
In order for a stadium to be classified as Category 3, the stadium will not only need at least 4,500 seats, but also:
- Floodlighting around 1,200 lux
- Minimum 75 VIP seats
- Suitable media and broadcasting facilities
- Fully seated stands, which means no old-school standing terraces allowed (safe standing rail seating exempted)
The Premier League's smaller stadiums that do not quite fit into Category 4 comfortably classify as Category 3 grounds.
Category 4: What are UEFA's requirements?
Category 4 stadiums host the biggest and most important matches in UEFA competitions, so that would include league phase games, finals and international fixtures.
For an arena to fit into that category, it must have:
- At least 8,000 seats
- High-intensity floodlighting (1,400 lux) suitable for HD and UHD TV
- At least 100 covered VIP seats in midfield between the (18-yard box) lines
- Large video screens, powerful PA system and designated control rooms
A key difference with Category 4 stadiums and others is that they have extensive broadcast setups, allowing for the highest possible quality for TV coverage.
This would include having a camera platform on the halfway line, as well as more platforms on the 18-yard box for alternative angles.
Category 4 stadiums must also have cameras positioned behind the goal for replays, but also for usage by VAR officials.
Naturally, the biggest games garner the most attention, and that means there will also be a large media presence, with journalists from across the world hoping to ask questions.
Category 4 grounds must provide dedicated spaces for those journalists and broadcasters, including a press room, an elevated written press section and a mixed zone where players and management staff give post-match interviews.