The beauty of football stadiums is that no two look the same. Each venue offers something different from every corner of the globe: a roaring atmosphere; state-of-the-art technology, or a rich archive of historic nights. Football’s ongoing need for bigger and better stadiums has resulted in some iconic infrastructures, unusual features and never-seen-before ideas that have become an unforeseen trend. The stadium of each team is vital to the image of the team that plays within its walls and also plays a big part in the community within which it’s built.
Ranking factors
Capacity: Amount of spectators able to watch the game inside the stadium
How attractive the stadium looks: Distinct and unique features of a stadium
How iconic the stadium is: Famous matches and players who have played at the stadium regularly
The atmosphere generated by fans: Fan support from the terraces pushes the home team forward in big matches
Johan Cruyff Arena
Home of: Ajax
Located in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the Johan Cruyff Arena is also a major European stadium. Inaugurated in 1997 on the ruins of the former De Meer stadium, which hosted Ajax matches for over 60 years, the Arena now has a capacity of 55,000 – in its football configuration.
It has been awarded category 4 status by UEFA, enabling it to host numerous international events, from the Champions League final to several matches in the 2000 and 2020 European Championships. And among the most spectacular matches to have been held there, some will remember the memorable encounter between Ajax and Tottenham in the second leg of the 2019 UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Parc des Princes
Home of: Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain’s home ground is by no means the largest of all the stadiums on this list, but its history and recent events make it a worthy candidate. Located on the outskirts of Paris, overlooking the French capital’s ring road, the stadium was inaugurated in 1897 and is the oldest still in use in France.
It is a legendary stadium where some of the greatest players of all time have graced the pitch, both in the colours of the home team (Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Ronaldinho, Rai, David Ginola…) and their opponents (Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Juninho…).
Stade de France
Home of: France
The fifth largest stadium in Europe, with a capacity of 81,000, the Stade de France is universally renowned for having been the venue for the 1998 World Cup final, the scene of Zinedine Zidane’s double header against Brazil. This is a stadium familiar with big-name matches, having notably been chosen to host three Champions League finals (2000, 2006, 2022) since its opening.
As well as playing host to the French national teams in various sports, the stadium is also the usual venue for the French Cup finals in football and the major national rugby cups. Certainly one of the great sporting venues in Europe.
Stadion Rajko Mitic
Home of: Red Star Belgrad
Including the Rajko Mitic stadium in this ranking is a bit of a departure from the beaten track. It is certainly not the best known of the stadiums listed here, nor is it the most beautiful in architectural terms, but it certainly has a soul that many of its counterparts would dream of being able to boast.
It is a stadium with just over 50,000 seats that is brought to life week after week by the passionate supporters of Red Star Belgrade, the resident club. All the more reason for its nickname of ‘Marakana’, a reference to another well-known stadium on the world footballing scene.
Azadi Stadium
Home of: Esteghlal, Persepolis, and Iran
Renamed after the Iranian revolution to the English translation of ‘freedom’, the noise the Azadi Stadium can generate on match day is out of this world. Not only does it hold the record attendance for the biggest-ever crowd for a World Cup qualifier (a remarkable 130,000) but it houses other facilities, too – including a swimming pool.
Esteghlal and Persepolis – two clubs in Iran – play their home games inside the Azadi Stadium, and share that honour with the national team when necessary. The conversion to all-seater stadiums meant the overall capacity of the ground had to decrease, but over 78,000 fans can still attend matches there.
