The Burrow
There’s nothing quite like a big game in a big stadium. It’s why plenty of Aussies will happily fly halfway around the world for 90 minutes of soccer.
If that sounds like your kind of holiday, it pays to plan properly. Fixtures get moved, stadiums close for renovations, and flights don’t always go to schedule. Travel insurance may help with some of the things that can go wrong along the way, so it’s worth comparing policies before you book.
So, where to? A 2018 study by Compare the Market has counted down the 10 largest soccer stadiums in the world by capacity, starting at number 10. Some were built for soccer, others have simply hosted some of its biggest nights. And one of them is a lot closer to home than you’d think.
Capacities correct as of July 2018.
Previously the highest capacity stadium in the world, Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata has fallen down a few rankings since its refurbishment in 2011. However, despite cutting its capacity by roughly 35,000, it is still the largest stadium in India – an impressive feat, given the country’s population and love for sport.
Indeed, it’s still 10th on our list after cutting tens of thousands of seats!
As well as the India national football team, Salt Lake Stadium is also the home of several teams from the I-League. However, no matter what soccer game you end up going to, expect a raucous crowd of passionate fans.
Built to further Egypts’s bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Borg El Arab Stadium is the second largest soccer stadium in Africa. While South Africa ended up winning the bid, Borg El Arab was still utilised for international competition, as it was one of the host venues for the 2009 U-20s World Cup.
It is now used as a home base for the Egypt national team, as well as various teams that play in the local Egyptian Premier League.
In terms of sporting events in Mexico, Estadio Azteca has been a key venue of some of the largest tournaments the country has held, including the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Out of the many great moments in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, two of the most memorable happened in the fixture between Argentina and England. Diego Maradona scored two goals: one slightly dubious, titled the “Hand of God” goal, and another shortly after labelled the “Goal of the Century”. Outside of the larger events, Estadio Azteca is also the home of Club America – a Liga MX franchise that has been around for over a century.
Historically speaking, Estadio Azteca would have made it further up the list, as it previously had a capacity of around 110,000, but recent renovations have lowered this number considerably. Nonetheless, Estadio Azteca is still the largest soccer stadium in the Central America region.
Originally built to be a venue for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Bukit Jalil National Stadium is now primarily the home ground of the Malaysia national team.
While the Bukit Jalil Stadium may currently sit seventh on this list, the planned renovations could see it jump a number of spots in the not-so-distant future. It is predicted that the latest construction could see the overall capacity increase to 110,000.
With the redevelopment of Bukit Jalil National Stadium in the pipeline, it would be best to check the stadium’s availability before booking your trip. It would be a shame for you to find out it was closed while you were in Malaysia.
When it comes to English football, it doesn’t get any bigger than Wembley Stadium.
The venue of England’s international fixtures, along with the FA Cup final, the stadium in London hosts its fair share of elite soccer matches. Other major soccer events like the 2011 and 2013 UEFA Champions League Finals have also been held at Wembley, while the UEFA European Football Championship is scheduled for 2020.
More recently, Wembley has temporarily become the home ground of English Premier League (EPL) team Totten Hotspur FC – a team that has previously won eight FA Cups (although, there has been a bit of a drought since 1991).
Whether it’s soccer or one of its many other events, Wembley Stadium pretty much always has something big going on.
Generally known for its annual American Football event under the same name, the Rose Bowl is also one of America’s major soccer venues.
With the United States hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the Rose Bowl hosted eight matches, including the final, which was the first decider where the winner had to be crowned after a penalty shoot-out. The Rose Bowl was also once the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy.
While the Los Angeles Galaxy moved their home games to the StubHub Center in 2003, the Rose Bowl still hosts soccer games. Previous friendly matches included FC Barcelona vs Los Angeles Galaxy (2009) and Chelsea vs Liverpool (2016).
Also known as Soccer City and The Calabash, the First National Bank (FNB) Stadium was previously the venue of many fixtures in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.
While it plays host to various international soccer matches, FNB Stadium is usually the home of the Kaizer Chiefs – a team in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL). The four-time PSL champions generally play at FNB Stadium between August and May.
As well as high profile soccer events, FNB Stadium was also the site of Nelson Mandela’s first speech after being freed from prison, which further proves that it is one of South Africa’s most iconic and quintessential venues.
Of all the grounds built specifically for soccer, Camp Nou in is likely the largest stadium that consistently holds regular fixtures.
Located in Spain, part of the Iberian Peninsular, it is the home ground of FC Barcelona – one of the most prestigious soccer clubs in the world. It is the home of some of the greatest players in the current game, such as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, with other legends like Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Thierry Henry also lining up for the team in previous seasons.
With 24 La Liga, five UEFA Champions League, and three FIFA Club World Cup titles, it seems that FC Barcelona always puts one of the most skilful soccer teams in the world on the pitch, which is why fans come to see them in droves.
If you want to see one of the most impressive grounds in the world, you won’t have to travel far.
As the name would suggest, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is commonly known as Melbourne’s home of cricket, with it also being the spiritual home of the AFL. However, the MCG has also been the host of some big time soccer matches, including the Gold Medal match of the 1956 Olympic Games tournament between USSR and Yugoslavia.
The MCG has also held World Cup qualifiers for the Australian Socceroos. These matches include the controversial 1997 qualifier against Iran, where Australia was ultimately denied entry to the following World Cup, and the 2001 qualifier against Uruguay.
Along with the Socceroos, international teams such as Brazil, France, & Argentina have played at the MCG.
Even though the overall capacity has been disputed, the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is generally recognised as the largest in the world, with even the most conservative capacity estimates superseding its competitors. The world’s largest stadium was reportedly built as an answer to rival South Korea’s Olympic stadium in Seoul.
It is also one of the most unique stadiums. Situated on an island that appears to only have two roads leading off it, Rungrado 1st of May Stadium has a roof that goes around the stadium and is in a shape similar to a parachute.
While Rungrado 1st of May Stadium has been home to the North Korea national football team and the April 25 Sports club in the DPR Korea League, the venue’s notoriety has generally been gained through circumstances other than soccer games.
Ticking off a few of these grounds makes for a pretty good holiday. Before you book the flights, it’s worth sorting your cover — a policy can help with things like lost luggage, cancelled flights and overseas medical costs, so a hiccup on the way doesn’t ruin the trip. Just check the Product Disclosure Statement, as what’s included varies between policies.
Capacities from http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/
10 Salt Lake Stadium Kolkata India Arnabsaha2212 of Wikimedia.org
9 Bog El Arab Stadium Alexadria Egypt Ben5218 on Wikimedia.org
8 Estadio Azteca Mexico City Mexico Jorge Figueroa of Flickr.com
7 Bukit Jalil National Stadium Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi of Flickr.com
6 Wembley Stadium London England Ed Webster of Flicker.com
5 Rose Bowl Pasadena USA Ken Lund of Flickr.com
4 FNB Stadium Johannesburg South Africa 2010 World Cup – Shine 2010 of Wikimedia.org
3 Camp Nou Barcelona Spain Randy110912 of Wikimedia.org
2 Melbourne Cricket Ground MCG Melbourne Australia Simon Yeo of Flickr.com
1 Rungrado 1st May Stadium Pyongyang North Korea Ryuugakusei of Wikimedia.org