10 Biggest football stadiums in the world

10. Wembley Stadium, London (England) – Capacity : 90,000

Maybe the most famous soccer or maybe sports venue in the world, Wembley, or the new Wembley stadium to some, is the second largest soccer venue in Europe and the largest in the world with every seat under cover. England national team plays at Wembley and the stadium also hosts the FA Cup Final and the Football league playoffs. It was opened in 2007, with the first official match taking place there was between the U-21 teams of England and Italy. It is also the most expensive stadium ever built, with the cost estimated at around 800 million pounds.

9. Beijing National Stadium, Beijing (China) – Capacity : 91,000

The famous bird’s nest, the main stadium in the 2008 Olympics at Beijing has really lost a lot of it’s prestige since the olympics have come and gone, with no real proper use being found for it. The venue’s owners have announced that it will become a shopping center in about five years. Before that, the Italian Super Cup, the Supercoppa Italiana between Inter and Lazio will be played there. After that, nothing else is scheduled. The national team plays at the workers stadium, also in Beijing.

8. Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) – Capacity : 96,000

Another legendary soccer stadium, the Maracana was built for the 1950 World Cup hosted by Brazil, and holds the record for highest attendance for a soccer game, with the famous Uruguay win over Brazil in the World Cup that gave Uruguay the trophy, watched by 199,854 fans, although it’s estimated that the actual figure was over 200,000. Despite reduced to half the capacity, it’s still the largest soccer stadium in South America and is home to Flamengo, Botafogo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama when the teams play each other and big matches. The Brazilian national team also plays there, among other stadiums around the country.

7. Camp Nou, Barcelona (Spain) – Capacity : 98,772

The Camp Nou , or Nou Camp, is the biggest soccer stadium in Europe and famously the home of FC Barcelona. Built in 1957 as tge club outgrew it’s old stadium, the Camp Nou, back when standing sections were still allowed could hold more than 105,000 fans. The 1999 champions league final that saw Manchester United complete an amazing last minute comeback against Bayern Munich was played there, along with the 1989 final, the 1992 Olympics final and the opening match of the 1982 World Cup.

6. Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) – Capacity : 100,000

It is located 20km south of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the National Sports Complex. Built for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, construction work began in 1992 and was completed 3 months ahead of schedule. The stadium is now the home of the Malaysian football team and hosts a variety of sporting and non-sporting events, most notably the AFC Asian Cup 2007.

5. Azadi Stadium, Tehran (Iran) – Capacity : 100,000

Considered to be one of the most intimidating venues in the world for visiting teams, Azadi Stadium is home to the Iranian national team and also to Perespolis FC and Esteghlal FC, the biggest clubs in Iran and the two have one of the most heated and intense rivalries in the world, also known as the Sorkhabi derby, which is played of course at Azadi.

4. Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (Australia) – Capacity : 100,000

Another Multi purpose venue, the Melbourne Cricket ground is also home to the Socceroos, the Australian national soccer team. It’s more famously used for cricket and Australian Rules Football, but also hosts the national team at least once each year. The venue is among the oldest in the world, built in 1853 with the first game of cricket played on 30 September 1854. Until the 1970s, up to 130,000 people could be crammed into the stadium - however renovations and safety regulations have since restricted the capacity to its current 100,000.

3. Estadio Azteca, Mexico City (Mexico) – Capacity : 114,465

The only stadium to host two World Cup Finals (1970 Brazil-Italy Final and 1986 West Germany-Argentina Final), the Azteca in Mexico City is the biggest soccer stadium in the Americas and is home to the Mexican national team and Club America.

2. Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata (India) – Capacity : 120,000

Salt Lake Stadium (officially known as Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Stadium of the Indian Youth) is located in Salt Lake City, a district of Kolkata in India. Built in 1984, the stadium boasts a capacity of 120,000 over a 3-tier construction and is mainly used for football and athletics events. It is home to the two Kolkata clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, with their famous derby match played in the stadium. The Indian national team also plays many of the home games here.

1. Rungrado May Day Stadium, Pyongyang (North Korea) – Capacity : 150,000

The monumental Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea was built in 1989 and seats a staggering 150,000 people. Resembling a blossom flower, it has 16 arches arranged in a ring. In 1995, an incredible 190,000 people crammed in for a professional wrestling event. Although it’s mostly known for the Mass Games, it is also used for soccer matches, and it is the biggest stadium in the world not used for Auto Racing. The North Korean soccer team occasionally plays there.