10 Largest Football Stadiums in the World – Part 1
In this article we will look into the 10 biggest football stadiums in the World and this list contains a few surprises. Even though Europe and South America dominate in terms of quality of footballers, Asia seems to do well in terms of the quality of stadia.
Here is our top 10.
10) Estadio do Maracana (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Capacity: 88,992)
At no.10 is one of the most recognisable football stadiums in the world. Rio de Janeiro, a city with rich football history has a stadium with a capacity of 88,992, called the Estadio do Maracana. It was built between 1948 and 1950. Since then it has been
a symbol of Brazilian football. Incidentally its construction coincides with the dominance of Brazil at all levels in football.
The stadium was built to host the 1950 World Cup where Brazil was shocked by Uruguay in the last match of the final round. That match was witnessed by an incredible 199,954 spectators. The ground has been used as home venue by some of the most famous clubs
in the Brazil’s history. Those include Flamengo, Fluminese, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama. Currently it is Flamengo and Fluminese who use it on part-time basis.
Maracana is set to stage another huge event, The 2014 World Cup and the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The biggest stadium in South America is also the most historical. It has been host to all the greatest Brazilian players. The likes of Pele, Socrates,
Zico, Romario and Ronaldo all have had a taste of this wonderful stadium. And the history is still in the making as future stars of the Brazilian football will get an opportunity to showcase their talents in this stunning arena.
9) Azadi Stadium (Tehran, Iran – Capacity: 90,000)
Tehran’s 90,000 capacity stadium was built in mid 1970s. It was built to host the Asian games at the time. However, since than it has been host two of the top Iranian clubs; Esteghalal FC and Persepolis FC.
The stadium has been deprived of the quality of football or the players that such an arena deserves. However, it has been host to top regional tournaments and also the Asian Club Championship.
The stadium hosts all Iranian International matches and was the venue for the national team during their World Cup qualifiers. The stadium registered its full capacity in their World Cup qualifier against Japan for the very first time.
Azadi Stadium is regarded as one of the top football venues in the Middle East, especially after its renovation back in 2003.
8) Wembley Stadium (London, UK – Capacity: 90,000)
Host to England’s National team, the revamped Wembley Stadium is accused of losing its character and historical significance, to an extent, due to the architectural genius of Norman Foster.
The new Wembley has it all, the state of the art facilities, stunning looks and most importantly a 90,000 capacity. The stadium hosts finals of FA cup and last season were accused of poor pitch quality. However, the beauty of this stadium makes it a stand
out amongst all the top stadiums of the world. It is one of UEFA’s Elite Stadiums. It s one of the most recognisable stadia in World football due to its famous arch which is already part of the London skyline.
The FA is hoping that a stadium of Wembley’s pedigree would aid them in their bid for 2018 World Cup. Wembley is right at the top in the list of most advanced and modern football stadia. Its architectural popularity is growing all the time due to its distinctive
style. The arena which has been host to various World scale events will be central to England’s chances to of bidding successfully for the 2018 World Cup.
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