The 20 Best Soccer Stadiums in the World
As the FIFA World Cup wrapped up with one of the most exciting final games in the history of the sport, we're taking a look at the best soccer stadiums in the world.
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Soccer has s0me of the top environments in all of sports and one of the main reasons why is the stadium atmosphere. From Madrid to Melbourne. Buenos Aires to Berlin. Atlanta to Amsterdam. Stadium culture makes soccer a unique experience for everyone involved no matter where the matches are taking place.
Fans arrive hours before matches, chant the names of their favorite superstars and sing club anthems. The beauty of football being a global sport is that many stadiums are vastly different, but the supporters inside them share the same passion.
Today, we're taking a closer look at the best soccer stadiums in the world.
1. Wembley Stadium
Image credit: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
London, England
Team Who Plays Here: England national team
Year Opened: March 2007
Notable games: 1966 World Cup final, Barcelona vs. Manchester United (2011 UEFA Champions League final)
No list of best soccer stadiums is complete without this iconic venue! Wembley annually hosts the FA Cup final as well as numerous other big soccer matches. It's also home to England national team, who won the FIFA World Cup back in 1966 on their home soil at this venue.
2. Estadio Azteca
Image credit: Mauricio Salas/Jam Media/Getty Images
Mexico City, Mexico
Team Who Plays Here: Club America, Cruz Azul and Mexico national team
Year Opened: May 1966
Notable games: 'Hand of God' 1986 World Cup Argentina vs. England
The Azteca is one of the most challenging venues to play at in the world. The altitude of the venue makes it tough for opposition and the fans are consistently some of the loudest and most passionate.
Mexico plays all their home national team matches here and often have a huge home-field advantage.
3. Ibrox Stadium
Image credit: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Glasgow, Scotland
Team Who Plays Here: Rangers
Year Opened: December 1899
Notable games: Rangers home matches
Scotland has several big clubs including Celtic and Rangers, who have a bitter rivalry.
4. Estadio BBVA
Image credit: Alfredo Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images
Monterrey, Mexico
Team Who Plays Here: Monterrey
Year Opened: August 2015
Notable games: 2026 FIFA World Cup
This is one of the most picture-esque stadiums in the world with the mountains directly behind.
5. Camp Nou
Image credit: Joan Valls/Urbanandsport /NurPhoto via Getty Images
Barcelona, Spain
Team Who Plays Here: Barcelona
Year Opened: February 1910
Notable games: 1982 World Cup semifinals
Barcelona has built one of the strongest rivalries in global soccer with Real Madrid. The Camp Nou has hosted so many contentious matches between the two sides.
6. La Bombonera
Image credit: Daniel Jayo/Getty Images
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Team Who Plays Here: Boca Juniors
Year Opened: February 1910
Notable games: 1978 FIFA World Cup
La Bombonera is an eccentric stadium that features so many passionate Boca Juniors fans. Their rivalry with River Plate is one of the best in the world.
7. Old Trafford
Image credit: Ashley Allen - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Manchester, England
Team Who Plays Here: Manchester United
Year Opened: February 1910
Notable games: 2008 UEFA Champions League final
Man United is one of the legendary English clubs and their home venue regularly hosts incredible soccer matches.
8. San Siro
Image credit: Maria Moratti/Getty Images
Milan, Italy
Team Who Plays Here: AC Milan and Inter Milan
Year Opened: September 1926
Notable games: 1990 FIFA World Cup
San Siro has hosted so many amazing Serie A matches including various matches during the 1990 World Cup.
9. Santiago Bernabeu
Image credit: Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Madrid, Spain
Team Who Plays Here: Real Madrid
Year Opened: December 1947
Notable games: 1982 World Cup final
Real Madrid is one of the biggest and most well known clubs in the world and the Bernabeu is named after a club legend. Santiago Bernabeu was one of Madrid's first incredible talents and later went on to become club president.
10. Signal Iduna Park
Image credit: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Dortmund, Germany
Team Who Plays Here: Borussia Dortmund
Year Opened: April 1974
Notable games: 2006 World Cup semifinal
Signal Iduna is known for its 'Yellow Wall' which is an ode to the amazing supporters that watch their Dortmund side.
11. Parc des Princes
Image credit: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
Paris, France
Team Who Plays Here: Paris Saint-Germain
Year Opened: May 1972
Notable games: 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
PSG have become of the biggest clubs in European soccer and their home matches have an electric atmosphere.
12. Estadio da Luz
Image credit: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)
Lisbon, Portugal
Team Who Plays Here: Benfica
Year Opened: October 2003
Notable games: 2014 UEFA Champions League final
Benfica is one of the top team in Portugal and their venue is definitely one of the best soccer stadiums. Their fans are super passionate and they have witnessed some magical moments for Benfica and the Portuguese national team.
13. Maracana Stadium
Image credit: Andre Borges/Getty Images
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Team Who Plays Here: Fluminense and Flamengo
Year Opened: June 1950
Notable games: 2014 World Cup final
The Maracana has hosted a World Cup final and it's one of the largest in the world with over 100,000 seats.
14. Metropolitano Stadium
Image credit: Alvaro Medranda/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Madrid, Spain
Team Who Plays Here: Atletico Madrid
Year Opened: September 2017
Notable games: 2019 UEFA Champions League final
The Metropolitano has hosted contentious matches between Real and Atletico Madrid over recent years. It's truly a marvelous venue that's one of the most modernized in soccer.
15. Estadio Monumental
Image credit: Zac Goodwin/PA Images via Getty Images
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Team Who Plays Here: River Plate and Argentina national team
Year Opened: May 1938
Notable games: 1978 World cup final
The Monumental normally has frantic matches whether it's at the club or international levels. Argentina has played some significant games here during World Cup qualifying and during the 1978 World Cup.
16. Johan Cruyff Stadium
Image credit: Oliver Hardt - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Image
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Team Who Plays Here: Ajax
Year Opened: August 1996
Notable games:
The Dutch side named the venue after legendary Netherlands superstar Johan Cruyff and his legacy lives on. Ajax produce some of the best young players in the world on a yearly basis which is why they're so popular.
17. Centenario Stadium
Image credit: Carlos Lebrato/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Montevideo, Uruguay
Team Who Plays Here: Uruguay national team
Year Opened: July 1930
Notable games:
The Centenario hosted the first ever World Cup and is one of the oldest South American stadiums.
18. Anfield
Image credit: Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images
Liverpool, England
Team Who Plays Here: Liverpool
Year Opened: September 1884
Notable games:
Anfield has hosted some of the best Premier League matches we've seen and Liverpool is often at the center of it. The Merseyside club has the famous Kop, where the club's most passionate fan are seated.
19. Allianz Arena
Image credit: Thomas Hiermayer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Munich, Germany
Team Who Plays Here: Bayern Munich
Year Opened: May 2005
Notable games:
Bayern Munich is the most successful German club and they regularly win the Bundesliga title. Allianz Arena does a phenomenal job of innovating and using colorful light displays to highlight important causes and obviously their beloved club.
20. San Mames Stadium
Image credit: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
Bilbao, Spain
Team Who Plays Here: Athletic Bilbao
Year Opened: September 2013
Notable games: Bilbao home matches
Spain has several beautiful venues but Bilbao's one of the more modern stadiums in the country. It houses all of Athletic Bilbao's games and was supposed to host several Euro 2020 matches before the COVID-19 pandemic changed those plans.
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