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A leading stadium designer has named the best sports venues in the world, with one 2026 World Cup stadium taking top spot ahead of some of football's most famous grounds.
The list features a mix of iconic football stadiums, cricket venues and modern arenas, with several current World Cup hosts making the cut.
Top stadium designer names SoFi Stadium as best sports venue in the world
Alex Thomas, regional design director for sports and entertainment at architecture firm HKS, has named SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as the world's greatest sports venue on ‘The Urbanist' podcast.
The 2026 World Cup host, which will stage eight matches including knockout fixtures, topped Thomas' personal top-10 thanks to its multifunctional design, natural light and the giant Oculus video screen suspended above the pitch.
“The best stadium in the world,” Thomas said, praising its ability to host everything from the FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl to concerts and the 2028 Olympic Games.
His list also includes another World Cup venue, AT&T Stadium in Texas, by virtue of HKS' wider portfolio, while football stadiums such as St James' Park, Carrow Road – a surprise third – and the renovated Camp Nou also featured.
Elsewhere, Lord's Cricket Ground ranked second, with Munich Olympic Stadium, Optus Stadium in Perth, US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and Royal Arena in Copenhagen completing the diverse selection.
Thomas said modern stadiums should be designed around their city, climate and culture rather than following a one-size-fits-all blueprint, believing the strongest venues become landmarks that reflect their local communities as much as the sport they host.
:quality(65)/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.footballgroundguide.com%2Fmain%2F2026%2F06%2Fimago1075266484.jpg "World Cup venue named ‘best in the world’ by top designer as cricket ground beats Spurs, Hill Dickinson 1")
FGG says: Several iconic football grounds miss out
There’s no denying SoFi Stadium is one of the most spectacular sporting venues ever built, and many of the selections are easy to justify from an architectural standpoint.
Even so, football fans will inevitably highlight some glaring omissions.
The likes of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Santiago Bernabeu and Anfield are among the iconic grounds many would argue deserve to sit alongside those that made the final top 10.
For us, it’s hard to dispute the No.1 choice for sheer scale, but nothing quite matches football cathedrals like the Estadio Azteca or the home of Liverpool.