The most famous football stadiums in the world. The largest stadiums in Europe (20 photos)

Football is the most popular sport in the world. The usual street ball game has evolved into a multi-billion dollar business. Improvised football pitches have grown into stadiums, and top players' fees are no less than seven figures. The popularity of football has led to the creation of the largest stadiums in the world. But who is the leader in this ranking? We have compiled a selection of the largest and most spacious football stadiums.

The largest football fields

These arenas host many matches, concerts, accommodate tens of thousands of people and are home to the best football teams. Some of them are designed exclusively for football, others can also host competitions in other sports.

Wembley

London's New Wembley opened on March 9, 2007 on the site of the Empire Stadium, which was 80 years old at the time of demolition. This is the second largest stadium in Europe: 90,000 people can watch the competition at the same time.

Wembley is the home ground of the England team. The stadium is being transformed into athletic sports by installing a special platform on the lower tiers. In addition to football, rugby and American football matches are held here. The arena is equipped with: VIP boxes, bars, restaurants. Those who wish can visit the museum of English football.

At a height of 134 meters, a steel arch 315 meters long runs through the field. It is the largest single-span structure in the world. The stadium is bowl-shaped and has a retractable roof. Feature "Wembley" - 2618 toilets, which are distributed throughout the sports complex.

In 2012, the stadium hosted the Olympic football competitions. Since its opening, concerts have been held here by George Michael, U2, Madonna, Take That.

"Maracana"

The legendary Maracanã stadium was once considered the largest in the world. After opening in 1950, the fourth World Cup was held here. Then 200 thousand people watched the game. Having lost to the Uruguayans, the Brazilian national team plunged the country into mourning.

The status of the largest arena "Maracana" was deprived of the new rules of UEFA. According to them, all places must be numbered, because of this, the famous "zheral" - standing places outside the gates - had to be abolished. After the changes, the capacity dropped to 78,838 seats.

Maracana is the home arena for the Brazilian national team and the teams Flamengo and Fluminense. Fans can watch close-ups of the game on four 100 m2 monitors. At the stadium, people move on 17 elevators and 12 escalators. You can have a bite to eat in one of the 60 cafes. There are also 296 toilets.

In 2016, the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games were held here. It also hosted Olympic football matches. At the beginning of 2017, a scandal erupted. The management company of the stadium and the authorities of Rio de Janeiro cannot decide who is responsible for the maintenance of the Maracana. While the proceedings are going on, the arena falls into disrepair. The lights don't work, the chairs are broken, and the lawn is ruined.

"Camp Nou"

‘New land’ - this is translated from the Catalan Camp Nou. This is Barcelona's stadium since it opened in 1957. During its existence it was rebuilt twice. For the first time - for the 1982 championship; then the arena was expanded to 120,000 seats. For the second time, all seats had to be equipped with seats at the request of UEFA. In order not to lose in the number of spectators, we had to lower the level of the football field. Thus, the management of the arena lost only 20,000 seats.

Today, the FC Barcelona Arena, with a capacity of 99,834, is the largest stadium in Europe. The management of the company works here, there are premises for employees. The museum of the legendary team contains memorable photos, videos and significant trophies from the beginning of the 20th century. Among them is the Champions Cup, which the team won at the old Wembley. The Barcelona Museum is the most visited place in Catalonia.

Although the stadium is designed exclusively for football, music legends have given concerts here more than once: Frank Sinatra, U2, Michael Jackson. In 1992, Camp Nou hosted the final match of the Olympic Games. Then the Spaniards defeated the Poles with a score of 3:2.

The largest stadium in Kazakhstan

Astana Arena is the largest stadium in Kazakhstan. After the opening on July 3, 2009, it was planned to name it after the famous Kazakh wrestler Khadzhimukan Munaitpasov. However, they decided to give the stadium its current name.

The arena has the form of an amphitheater with a two-level structure and four stands. The capacity of the stadium is 30,000 people, 16,000 on the lower terrace and 14,000 seats on the upper positions.

"Astana Arena" is the home field for the football clubs "Astana" and "Baiterek", as well as the national team of Kazakhstan. The stadium was designed for football, but if necessary, it can be prepared for any competition, including wrestling and judo.

A feature of the Astana Arena stadium is a huge retractable roof. It takes only 20 minutes to open and close the structure. Its area is 100,000 m2. There are only six stadiums with retractable roofs of this size in the world.

May Day Stadium

This giant occupies 207,000 m2 of area, reaches a height of 60 meters, and 150 thousand people can watch the game at once. This is the largest stadium in the world. Its opening was timed to the main holiday of North Korea - Workers' Solidarity Day, hence the name. The stadium is also called the name of the island in Pyongyang on which it was built - "Rungrado". The construction took only 2.5 years, and on May 1, 1989, the stadium was put into operation.

There are no standing places in the arena, so Rungrado can confidently be called the largest stadium in the world in terms of capacity. Despite its colossal size, the stadium is rarely packed to capacity. Once this happened in 1995, when wrestling competitions were held here. Over two days, the show was attended by 340,000 people.

The arena is not only used for football. It also hosts athletics tournaments and various festivals. In late summer and early autumn, the stadium hosts the largest theatrical performance in the world, Arirang, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Almost 100 thousand people are involved in the festival.

"Rungrado" stands out not only for its size. Its design is also interesting, consisting of 16 arches, which, converging towards the center, completely cover the stands. From above, the contours of the stadium resemble the canopy of an old parachute. The arena can be entered through any of the 80 entrances. Inside there is a gym, swimming pool, relaxation rooms, cafes and broadcast rooms.

The stadium is famous for the bloody events of the late 1990s. Here, dictator Kim Jong Il burned alive the generals who were involved in the assassination attempt on him.

There is no more popular game in the world than football. Therefore, there are no larger arenas than football ones. These structures impress not only with their size, but also with the colossal energy that pervades every meter of the stadium. And how do you feel about football? Do you think the record of the First of May Stadium will be broken?

I have always been very inspired by various sports facilities. With all their majesty, thanks to large spaces, special acoustics and light, they certainly form the very atmosphere that can be called the real “spirit of sports”. When the air is literally electrified by nimble particles, which, with the use of skill and perseverance honed over the years, can be molded into the desired VICTORY. Victory, above all, over yourself.

So, I was very curious all the time, especially after I visited one of the fairly large modern stadiums at one of the matches of the European Football Championship, what kind of stadiums exist in the world? And to be more precise, it was always interesting how they look largest stadiums in the world by capacity, and what, in fact, is this capacity? Are you interested, huh? (: Che, yes? Interesting? Then we read and look further ...

Top 25 largest stadiums in the world:

And then I will present for you a certain rating largest stadiums in the world, designed for various team sports such as football, cricket and American football). There are as many as 25 of them, stadiums, in this rating, and we will, of course, start with the “smallest” stadium, and then we will move on to real “thugs”. Go!

25th place - Burj Al Arab Stadium | Borg El Arab

Also, the building is called the "stadium of the Egyptian army."

Egypt's largest stadium has a capacity of 86,000 people. The stadium ranks second in terms of capacity on the entire African continent. The structure was erected in 2006 by the work of Egyptian army engineers. The stadium of the same name is located in the resort town of Burj Al Arab, not far from the city of Alexandria. This building was built specifically in order to achieve the right to host the World Cup in 2010, however, Egypt then nevertheless ceded this right to South Africa. Now the stadium is used mainly for football matches of the Egyptian Cup, matches of the national team of this state and matches of various football clubs in Egypt.

24th place — Memorial Stadium | Memorial Stadium

The capacity of this stadium is 87,091 spectators. The stadium was built in 1923 in Lincoln, Nebraska (USA). The facility is used for the games of the football (American football) team of the University of Nebraska called "Nebraska Cornhuskers".

23rd place - Jordan-Hare Stadium | Jordan Hare

The capacity of the stadium is 87,451 people. The stadium, located in the city of Auburn (Alabama, USA), was built in 1939. The facility is the home stadium of the local Auburn Tigers varsity football (American football) team | Auburn Tigers.

22nd place - "Bung Karno" | Bung Karno

The stadium has a capacity of 88,083 people. The building was erected in 1960, in Jakarta (Indonesia), specifically for the 1962 Asian Games. It is Bung Karno that is the largest stadium in Indonesia. The national football team of this state holds its matches here.

21st place — Ben Hill Griffin | Ben Hill Griffin

The people also call the stadium "The Swamp", that is, "swamp".

The capacity of this facility is 88,548 people. This stadium was built in the city of Gainesville (Florida, USA). Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the home of the Florida Gators, the local college football team.

20th place — Wembley | Wembley

The capacity of this popular stadium in London is exactly 90,000 people. The stadium was built in the British capital in 2007. It became the home arena for the English national football team. It is at Wembley that football matches of the FA Cup final are held. In addition, the building is also used for matches of the Saracens rugby team. Also, the stadium often becomes the venue for the coolest concerts of the most famous world musicians.

19th place - Azadi | Azadi

The word azadi means "freedom" in Persian.

Azadi's capacity is 91,623. This building was erected in 1971, especially for the 1974 Asian Games. This stadium is used for most of the matches of the Iranian national football team. In addition, the clubs Esteglial and Persepolis also play at the stadium.

18th place — Cotton Bowl | Cotton Bowl

This stadium has a capacity of 92,100 people. It was built in Dallas (Texas, USA) in 1930. The Cotton Bowl hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup. In normal use, the facility is used as the home arena for several American football teams.

17th place — Tiger Stadium | Tiger Stadium

The stadium has a capacity of 92,542 people. Tiger Stadium is home to the Louisiana State University American football team. It was built in the city of "Baton Rouge" (Louisiana, USA) back in 1924.

16th place — Sanford Stadium | Sanford Stadium

The stadium has a capacity of 92,746. It is noteworthy that the building was erected in Athens, but not in those same Athens that are in Greece, but in those Athens that are in the USA, in the state of Georgia. The stadium hosts all of its home games for the local college football team called the Georgia Bulldogs.

15th place - "Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum" | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

The capacity of this stadium is 93,607 people. The Summer Olympic Games were held here twice (in 1932 and 1984). The stadium, which was built in 1923, is home to the American football team of the University of Southern California, called the Trojans.

14th place — Rose Bowl | rose bowl

The stadium has a capacity of 94,392 people. This building was erected in Pasadena (California, USA). If Che, it is in Pasadena that the heroes of the popular series "The Big Bang Theory" live. And now back to the stadium. It already counts a century, because it was built in the already very distant 1922. The Rose Bowl also hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup matches, with the final match also taking place here. Now the stadium is used for home matches of the American football team of the University of California.

13th place Soccer City | soccer city

This stadium, located in Africa, can accommodate 94,736 people, and is the largest in the entire African continent. This building was erected in 1989 in South Africa, in the city of Johannesburg. It hosted the 1996 African Cup of Nations final in 1996. In 2010, it was Soccer City that hosted the World Cup matches, including also the final match. The stadium is home to the South African national football team and the Kaiser Chiefs club, which has won 11 South African league titles.

12th place - Camp Nou | Camp Nou

The name means "new field" in Catalan.

This arena is very legendary, and is home to the famous Barcelona football club from the city of the same name. The building has a capacity of 99,786 people. The Camp Nou is the largest stadium in Europe. It was built in 1957, and in 1982 it hosted the World Cup. The Barcelona stadium also hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics.

11th Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne Cricket Ground

And here it is - the first participant in our rating, having exceeded 100 thousand spectators with its capacity. This stadium can accommodate as many as 100,024 spectators. (: It Australia's largest stadium. Among other things, this multi-purpose facility is the world's largest cricket ground.

It is on it, in fact, that the national Australian team plays cricket. In addition, this arena hosts home matches and the national football team of Australia. Australian football is also played at the stadium. The building was erected in the middle of the 19th century (1854). Since then, the stadium has been reconstructed several times. In 1956, it was Melbourne Cricket Ground that became the center for the Summer Olympic Games, and during the Sydney Olympics in 2000, it hosted football matches.

10th place — Darrell Royal | Darrell K Royal

Previously, the stadium was called "Texas Memorial Stadium" | Texas Memorial Stadium.

The capacity of the building is 100,119 spectators. The stadium was built in the city of Austin (Texas, USA), in 1924 (as I see, in the early and mid-20s of the 20th century, they only did in the states, along the way, that they built stadiums ...) and now bears the name of a coach in American Football Darrell Royal. Today, the stadium is home to the local college football team, the Texas Longhorns.

9th place "Bukit Jalil" | Bukit Jalil

This sports facility has a capacity of 100,200 spectators. The stadium was built in Kaula Lampur (the capital of Malaysia) in 1998, specifically for the Commonwealth Games (meaning the British Commonwealth, not the CIS, of course). At the moment, this stadium is the largest in Malaysia. The building serves as the home arena for the Malaysian national football team. In addition, the Malaysian Football Cup and Super Cup finals are held here.

8th place — Brian Denny Stadium | Bryant Denny Stadium

The stadium is designed for 101,821 spectators. The facility was erected in the city of Tuscaloosa (Alabama, USA) in 1928 (oh, the glorious 20s of the stadium construction years ...) and then it could accommodate only 18 thousand people. Now this large arena is home to the local varsity American football team and, as you can see from the numbers, is quite capable of accommodating almost the entire population in its seats, for example, in a city like Nikopol.

7th place — Ohio Stadium | Ohio Stadium

The capacity of this stadium is 102,329 spectators. It was built, of course, in the state of Ohio (USA), in the city of Columbus (I immediately recall Lieutenant Colombo ... although, the point here, probably, is still in Columbus). It happened, of course, not just randomly, but in 1922, when it was very fashionable in the states to build huge stadiums. (: True, initially the building accommodated slightly fewer people - namely 66 thousand people.

This stadium is now home to the local college football team, the Ohio State Buckeyes. A notable feature of the building is the lack of lighting. For this reason, all matches here are played either in daylight, or by bringing and installing temporary lighting equipment in advance ... (hmm ...).

6th place — Niyland Stadium | Neyland Stadium

The capacity of this stadium in Knoxville (Tennessee, USA) is 102,455 spectators. Despite the fact that when the stadium was only built in 1921 (when, apparently, the main feature throughout the country was the construction of stadiums ...), it accommodated only 3,200 people. The facility is now used as the home stadium for a local uni football team called the Tennessee Volunteers.

5th place - "Azteca" | Azteca

It is this football stadium with its capacity of 105,064 people - the largest stadium in Latin America. This majestic hulk was built in Mexico City (the capital of Mexico), in 1966. This stadium has already hosted two FIFA World Cups (in 1970 and 1986).

It was at the Azteca on June 22, 1986 that the legendary Argentine football player Diego Maradona scored a goal with his hand, which was later called the "Hand of God". After that, just three minutes later, Maradona made a breakthrough into the penalty area of ​​the England team, beat six players, including the goalkeeper, and scored a goal that was recognized as the "Goal of the Century" - the best in the history of all World Cups.

Today, Azteca is the home stadium for the Mexico national football team. In addition, the América football club, a club that has become the champion of Mexico 10 times, also plays home matches here.

4th place — Beaver Stadium | Beaver Stadium

Beaver Stadium! Claaass!

The Beaver Stadium has a capacity of 106,572 beavers… uh.. people. Beaver Stadium is the second largest in the US. It was built in 1960, and then it accommodated a modest 46,284 spectators. The facility is located on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. Beaver Stadium is the home arena for the local university's American football team, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Michigan Stadium | Michigan Stadium

The capacity of this huge bowl is 109,901 seats. Michigan Stadium is the biggest stadium in the USA, throughout North America, and moreover - throughout the Western Hemisphere of the planet. It is also the largest American football stadium in the world. The stadium was built, of course, in the 1920s, namely in 1927.

The initial capacity of the building was 72 thousand spectators. This building is located in Ann Arbor (Michigan, USA). It is the home arena for the University of Michigan American football team, the Michigan Wolverines. This stadium is also home to the same university's lacrosse team.

Also Michigan Stadium sometimes used for hockey matches. For example, on December 11, 2010, it was on it that the record attendance of a hockey match was recorded, when 104,073 fans came to a meeting between two teams of two local universities.

2nd place - Indian Youth Stadium | Stadium of the Indian Youth

Alternative name - Salt Lake Stadium.

Second ranked stadium largest stadiums in the world by capacity, capable of accommodating as many as 120,000 people. Of course, such an object is located in India, namely, in the city of Calcutta. Footballers of the national football team and such football clubs as Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan play here. The stadium also hosts athletics competitions.

So what is the largest stadium in the world in terms of capacity?

1st place - May Day Stadium, located in the capital of North Korea - Pyongyang

The capacity of this architectural monster is 150 thousand people, which are extremely difficult to fit in your head! May Day Stadium is the largest stadium in Asia and worldwide. The hulk was erected in 1989 to host the XIII Festival of Youth and Students. Today, this stadium hosts home matches of the national football team of North Korea.

P.S. There is also a story about the largest stadiums on the planet Earth.

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, there is a very famous stadium called "Maracana" (cool, almost "macarena"). Once during the final of the World Cup in 1950 (in which the Brazilian team lost to the Uruguay team with a score of 1: 2), 199,854 fans were present at the stadium! In theory, this is at the moment still the attendance record at any stadium in principle, however, this was exactly the attendance, and not the capacity of the stadium, since on that day people were sitting there, and standing, and lying and hanging down - it doesn’t matter - the main thing was to be a witness to that most incredible ending. And he was the most unbelievable, at least because of this:

After the reconstruction, Maracana could accommodate 78,838 people, and during the World Cup in 2014, Maracanã stadium capacity was equal to 73,531 seats. Accordingly, at the moment, the Maracanã stadium is not even included in the first 50 largest stadiums in the world in terms of capacity.

Since many in the comments ask about the famous stadium Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, I will dwell on it in more detail in the preface to the rating. Maracana's attendance record was set at the 1950 World Cup final, where Brazil lost 2-1 to Uruguay. Then the match was attended by 199 thousand 854 fans. However, after the reconstruction, Maracana holds only 78,838, and even less at the 2014 FIFA World Cup - 73,531. Now Maracana is not even included in the top 50 largest stadiums in the world.

25th place: / Borg El Arab (another name is the stadium of the Egyptian army). Capacity - 86 thousand. It is the largest stadium in Egypt and the second largest stadium in Africa. The stadium, built in 2006 by the engineers of the Egyptian army, is located in the resort town of Burj al-Arab near the city of Alexandria. The stadium was built to win the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but in the end Egypt lost the right to host the South African World Cup. The stadium will host matches of the national football team, as well as the Egyptian Cup finals and important matches of Egyptian clubs.

24th place: Memorial Stadium/ Memorial Stadium. Capacity - 87,091. The stadium was built in 1923 in Lincoln, Nebraska (USA). The University of Nebraska American football team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, plays here.

23rd place: / Jordan-Hare. Capacity - 87 451. The stadium was built in 1939 and is located in the city of Auburn (US state of Olabama). Jordan-Hare is the home stadium of the local university's American football team, the Auburn Tigers.

22nd place: / Bung Karno. Capacity - 88,083. The stadium was built in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, in 1960 for the 1962 Asian Games. Bung Karno is the largest stadium in Indonesia, the football team of this country plays here.

21st place: / Ben Hill Griffin, popularly referred to as "The Swamp" (swamp). Capacity - 88 548. The stadium was built in the city of Gainesville (US state of Florida). Ben Hill Griffin is the home stadium of the local university's American football team, the Florida Gators.

20th place: / Wembley. Capacity - 90,000. The stadium was built in London in 2007 and is the home arena of the England football team. Wembley hosts the FA Cup finals. The Saracens rugby team also plays its matches at Wembley.

19th place: / Azadi (translated from Persian as "freedom"). Capacity - 91,623. The stadium was built in 1971 for the 1974 Asian Games. The Iran national football team plays most of its home matches at this stadium, and the clubs Persepolis and Esteghlal also play here.

18th place: / Cotton Bowl. Capacity - 92 100. The stadium was built in 1930 and is located in Dallas (US state of Texas). The Cotton Bowl has been the home arena of various American football teams. It also hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup matches.

17th place: / Tiger Stadium. Capacity - 92 542. The stadium was built in 1924 and is located in the city of Baton Rouge (US state of Louisiana). Tiger Stadium is the home arena of the Louisiana State University American football team.

16th place: / Sanford Stadium. Capacity - 92,746. The stadium was built in 1929 in Athens, but not in Greek, but in American (Georgia). The local university American football team, the Georgia Bulldogs, plays its home games here.

15th place: / Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Capacity - 93 607. The stadium was built in 1923 and hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice (1932, 1984). The USC American football team, nicknamed the Trojans, plays here.

14th place: / Rose Bowl. Capacity - 94 392. The stadium was built in 1922 in the city of Pasadena (California, USA). The stadium hosted matches of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, including the final. Now the Rose Bowl is home to the University of California American football team.

13th place: / Soccer City. Capacity - 94 736 (this the largest stadium on the African continent). The stadium was built in Johannesburg (South Africa) in 1989. In 1996, the final of the African Cup of Nations in 1996 was held here, and in 2010, Soccer City became the venue for matches (including the final) of the World Cup. Soccer City is the home arena of the South African national football team, as well as the Kaiser Chiefs club, the 11-time South African champion.

12th place: / Camp Nou (translated from the Catalan "New Field"). This stadium, which is the home ground of FC Barcelona, ​​has a capacity of 99,786 spectators and is the largest stadium not only in Spain, but throughout Europe. The stadium was built in 1957, in 1982 it hosted the World Cup and in 1992 the Summer Olympic Games.

11th place: / Melbourne Cricket Ground. Capacity - 100,024. This stadium is the largest in Australia. In addition, this world's largest cricket stadium. The Australian national team plays cricket here. The Australian football team also plays at this stadium. They also play Australian football here. The stadium was built in 1854 and since then has been reconstructed more than once. In 1956, Melbourne Cricket Ground was the main arena of the Summer Olympic Games, and during the 2000 Olympics it hosted football matches.

10th place: / Darrell K Royal (former name - Texas Memorial Stadium / Texas Memorial Stadium. Capacity - 100 119. The stadium was built in 1924, located in Austin (Texas, USA) and bears the name of American football coach Darrell Royal The stadium is now home to the Texas Longhorns, a local university football team.

9th place: / Bukit Jalil. Capacity - 100,200. This stadium was opened in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur in 1998 in order to host the Commonwealth Games (British Commonwealth, not to be confused with the CIS). Now the largest stadium in Malaysia serves as the home arena of the country's football team, as well as the venue for the finals of the Cup and Super Cup of Malaysia on football.

8th place: / Bryant Denny Stadium. Capacity - 101,821. The stadium was built in 1928 in the city of Tuscaloosa (Alabama, USA) and initially accommodated 18 thousand people. It is now the home arena of the local university's American football team.

7th place: / Ohio Stadium. Capacity - 102 329. The stadium was built in 1922 in the city of Columbus (Ohio, USA) and initially accommodated 66 thousand people. It is now the home arena of the local university's American football team, the Ohio State Buckeyes. It is noteworthy that there is no lighting in this stadium, so matches are played during the daytime or lighting equipment is temporarily delivered to the stadium.

6th place: / Neyland Stadium. Capacity - 102 455. The stadium was built in 1921 in the city of Knoxville (Tennessee, USA) and initially accommodated only 3200 people. It is now the home arena of the local university's American football team, the Tennessee Volunteers.

5th place: / Azteca. This stadium has a capacity of 105,064 is the largest in Latin America. The stadium was built in the Mexican capital Mexico City in 1966 and hosted two World Cups (1970, 1986). On June 22, 1986, Azteca witnessed how Diego Maradona scored with his hand a goal called the "Hand of God", and three minutes later he scored the "Goal of the Century" - a goal recognized as the best in the history of the World Cup, he was scored after Maradona's breakthrough into the penalty area of ​​the English team, during which he beat six players, including the goalkeeper.
Now Azteca is the home arena of the Mexican national football team. It also hosts its matches football club "America" ​​- 10-time champion of Mexico.

4th place: / Beaver Stadium. With a capacity of 106,572, this stadium is the second largest in the United States. The stadium was built in 1960 and originally held 46,284 people. Beaver Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Beaver Stadium is the home arena of the college football team, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

3rd place: / Michigan Stadium. Capacity - 109,901. Michigan Stadium is the largest stadium in the United States, North America and the entire Western Hemisphere, as well as the largest American football stadium in the world. It was built in 1927 and initially accommodated 72,000 people. Michigan Stadium is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. The stadium is the home arena for the University of Michigan American football team, the Michigan Wolverines (Michigan Wolverines). It is also the home stadium for the varsity lacrosse team. Michigan Stadium is sometimes the venue for hockey games. December 11, 2010 a hockey match attendance record was set here. 104,073 people came to watch the game between the hockey teams of the two local universities.

2nd place: / Stadium of the Indian Youth (another name is Salt Lake Stadium). Capacity - 120 thousand people. The stadium was built in 1984 and is located in the Indian city of Kolkata. The stadium hosts the matches of the Indian national football team, as well as the football clubs East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan. In addition, athletics competitions are held here.

In the capital of North Korea Pyongyang with a capacity of 150 thousand people is the largest stadium in Asia and worldwide. The stadium was built in 1989 to host the XIII Festival of Youth and Students. Now the North Korean national football team plays at this stadium.

The creation of such grandiose projects takes years and millions are spent, and all in order to attract as many visitors to the stadium as possible and help "their own" win the next football battle.

The size, grandeur and complexity of the structures of modern stadiums arouse admiration and amaze even an experienced spectator. So today I invite you to take a virtual journey largest stadiums in Europe.

Ready? Go!

1. Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

This stadium can accommodate up to 85,454 visitors. The Santiago Bernabéu was opened in 1947, but it still remains the second largest stadium in Spain. And in 2007, UEFA awarded him 5 stars.

2. Old Trafford, Manchester

This is homemade football pitch the famous English team "Manchester United", also known as the Theater of Dreams. The stadium is located in the suburbs of Manchester. Old Trafford occupies the second position in terms of seating capacity in England, behind only the grandiose Wembley. At the same time, 75,957 spectators can cheer for their favorite team at the stadium.

3. Camp Nou, Barcelona

The name of the stadium in translation means "New Field". it the largest stadium not only in Spain but in all of Europe. Camp Nou has a capacity of 99,354 visitors and has 5 stars.

4. San Siro, Milan

San Siro is the home ground for two football clubs at once - Inter and Milan. The stadium is often called "Giuseppe Meazza" in honor of the two-time world champion Italian footballer D. Meazza, who spent 16 seasons with these two teams. 80,000 spectators can cheer for their favorites at the stadium at the same time - San Siro is so big.

5. Donbass Arena, Donetsk

The home stadium of Shakhtar Donetsk team can accommodate 52,187 spectators. This is the second largest stadium of Ukraine. The latest equipment and modern infrastructure provide the Donbass Arena with a worthy place among the best stadiums in the world. Built in 2009, now the Donbass Arena is the fourth stadium in terms of spectator capacity in the entire CIS.

6. Alliance Arena, Munich

This stadium has an exquisite, original design. Its roof and facade look like diamond-shaped air cushions made of durable plastic. Designed for 66,000 people. Alliance Arena is the home stadium of the Munich football club Bayern Munich.

7. Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund

The size of this stadium can only be envied, because it can accommodate as many as 80,720 people! This is one of Germany's largest stadiums and at the same time the home ground of the Borussia Dortmund team. They built Signal Iduna Park especially for the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

8. Wembley, London

90,000 spectators at the same time can fit in London's Wembley - the second largest stadium in Europe. This is where the English football team trains. The facade of the building will amaze even the most demanding viewer: it is made in the form of a bowl with a retractable roof.

9. Stade de France, Paris

In the suburb of Paris, Saint-Denis is the national stadium of France, which today accommodates 80,000 fans. In addition to numerous football matches, various concerts and shows are held here.

10. Olympic, Kyiv

On the the main football ground of Ukraine 70,050 spectators can fit at the same time. NSC Olimpiyskiy is the home arena of the Dynamo Kyiv team. The stadium has a special design - the roof of the building is made of a translucent synthetic membrane that covers all seats.

11. Anfield Road, Liverpool

In addition to football battles, the walls of Anfield Road have seen fierce boxing fights and tense tennis matches. The stadium has a capacity of 45,362 fans. Anfield Road is the home ground of Liverpool FC and Anfield Road.

12. Emirates, London

Four huge stands of the second largest stadium in England are designed for 60,355 spectators. Emirates is the home ground of Arsenal FC.

13. Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam

"Amsterdam Arena" is one of two five-star stadiums in the Netherlands, according to UEFA rating (the other - "Feyenoord" - is located in Rotterdam). Accommodates 51,628 fans. Amsterdam Arena is the first stadium in Europe with a retractable roof. Home arena of FC Ajax. Those who wish can visit the museum of this football club without leaving the walls of the stadium.

14. Olympic Stadium, Berlin

The history of this stadium goes back to war times in Germany. Today it is the home arena of the Hertha football club, designed for 74,244 seats.

15. Hampden Park, Glasgow

Hampden Park - decoration of the center of the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is the home ground of the Scotland national football team and Queens Park FC. The size of the stadium is impressive: Hampden Park can accommodate 52,500 people.

16. Craven Cottage, London

Craven Cottage is considered one of the most historically valuable English stadiums, as it was opened in 1896. Fulham FC's home arena has a capacity of 26,000 fans.

17. Braga Municipal, Braga

Marvelous! The Braga Municipal Stadium is located in a niche carved right into the mountain rock. This unique football arena in Portugal with a capacity of 30,000 spectators was built specifically for the 2004 European Championship.

18. Croke Park, Dublin

This Irish Braga stadium is the largest in the country and the fourth largest in all of Europe. 82 3000 football fans can attend the match of their favorite team at the same time. Croke Park was built in 1884.

19. Luzhniki, Moscow

The area of ​​the stadium is so large that it can accommodate 84,745 people at the same time. Still would! After all, this is the largest stadium in Russia. Luzhniki is the home arena of FC Spartak and the Russian national football team.

20. Spyridon Louis Olympic Stadium, Athens

Built specifically for the athletics championship, which took place in 1982. The name was given in honor of the first winner of the Olympic marathon, Spiridon Louis. It was here that the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Summer Olympics were held. The stadium is also famous for hosting the world's top stars such as Madonna and U2 in 2010. Capacity - 71,030 spectators.