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 Estadio Monumental (commercially Mâs Monumental), as the name suggests, is characterized by its large size. It is not only the largest stadium in Argentina, but – after a recent expansion – in all of South America. 

 The stadium belongs to River Plate, the club with the most championships won in Argentina and one of the largest in the world in terms of membership. During River Plate matches, the venue regularly fills up with fans who create a heated atmosphere. The famous derby with Boca Juniors (the so-called Superclásico) in particular attracts huge attention.

 The facility, although oval in shape, is football-specific: the older rings of the stands are complemented by the newest lower sectors, which were built right next to the field. The stadium is located in the northern part of Buenos Aires, near the banks of the Río de la Plata and the international airport (hence the frequent sight of planes flying nearby).  

 The stadium was inaugurated in May 1938, initially without the north stand. The lower tier of the missing stand was built in 1958 thanks to money from the sale of the team's top scorer to Juventus, and the upper tier was built before the 1978 World Cup. Between 2020 and 2024, the athletics track was removed and replaced by additional lower level of the stands. 

 The Argentine national team regularly plays here, and in addition the stadium has hosted numerous international competitions, such as Copa América and the first Pan-American Games in 1951. The biggest event, however, was the 1978 World Cup, when in the final played at the Estadio Monumental, the Albicelestes defeated the Netherlands 3–1 and claimed their first ever World Cup triumph. 

 In 2030, the stadium was once again a World Cup venue, although only one match was played there, at the start of the tournament. 

 Estadio Monumental is usually the first choice of the biggest music stars who come to Argentina, so the stadium also hosts big concerts very often. 

Source Information:

https://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/arg/el_monumental

 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is one of the most recognizable stadiums in the world. The facility is the home of Real Madrid, one of the most successful, most popular and highest-earning football clubs in the globe. With a capacity of around 80,000 spectators, the Bernabéu also ranks among the top largest stadiums in Europe. 

 The stadium opened in 1947 and has since undergone several major upgrades. The current “new Bernabéu” is the result of a massive reconstruction underway since 2019, costing more than €1 billion, making the project one of the most expensive stadium upgrades in history. 

 The stadium features an original, futuristic façade composed of silver slats, and inside it is characterized by very steep stands. The facility is equipped with a number of advanced technological solutions, such as a retractable roof, a panoramic video screen and a retractable pitch. 

 The Bernabéu has a rich history of hosting important events, such as the matches of the 1964 European Championship and the 1982 World Cup, the finals of major club competitions and the matches of the Spanish national team. In 2030, the stadium once again was the venue for the World Cup, which was hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. 

The stadium is located in the Chamartín district, a few kilometers north of downtown Madrid. Next to the stadium is the Santiago Bernabéu metro station on line 10.

Source Information:

https://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/esp/nuevo_santiago_bernabeu

 The first Wembley Stadium was built between 1922 and 1923, and in just 300 days one of the largest stadiums in the world at the time was built, although interestingly it was initially thought of only as a temporary facility. The stadium was built at a cost of £750,000, using 25,000 tonnes of concrete, 1,500 tonnes of steel and half a million rivets.

 It was inaugurated on April 28, 1923, on the occasion of the FA Cup final (Bolton Wanderers – West Ham United 2:0). Interest in the match exceeded all expectations. Exact attendance figures are not available, the official figure is 126,047 spectators, but it was probably much higher, with speculation ranging from 150,000 to even 300,000 attendees. If the actual number of spectators was close to the upper limit of estimates, this would represent an unprecedented world record.  

 The venue was built for the British Empire Exhibition (hence its initial name British Empire Exhibition Stadium or simply Empire Stadium). The exhibition was held in 1924 and 1925, and the stadium was scheduled to be demolished afterwards, along with other post-exhibition facilities. However, the stadium managed to be preserved, and over the following years it gained a reputation as one of the most distinctive and recognizable sports venues in the world. 

 Designed by John William Simpson and Maxwell Ayrton and built by Sir Robert McAlpine, the stadium could officially hold 125,000 spectators (including 30,000 seats). The monumental building combined features of ancient Roman and Great Mogul Empire (northern India) architecture. Its distinctive feature was the two 38 m (126 ft) high white towers located on the sides of the main stand facade. 

 The stadium had a running track around the pitch, from 1955 it was equipped with floodlights, and from 1963 the auditorium was fully covered by a roof, supported by internal supports, limiting visibility for some fans. The final capacity of the arena, after the installation of seats in all stands in 1996, was 76,000 spectators. 

 Called the home of English football, it was the venue for regular appearances by the England national football team and hosted the FA Cup finals every year. It was the main arena for the 1948 Olympic Games, hosted some matches (including the final) of the 1966 World Cup and 1996 European Championships, and played host to European club finals, major rugby matches and competitions in many other sports, as well as concerts by world music stars. Greyhound racing and speedway competitions held at Wembley have been very popular. 

The main contractor was Multiplex from Australia. Project management was handled by Symonds (at the planning stage this function was carried out by McBains Limited – later renamed Tropus Limited). The steel elements were the responsibility of Cleveland Bridge, which was replaced by Hollandia in the summer of 2004. The demolition of the old Wembley was carried out by Griffiths McGee.

 Many other parties and subcontractors were involved in the project, enough to say that residents from every county in England had a hand in creating the steel arch towering over the stadium. 

Demolition did not begin until September 30, 2002 and was completed in 2003, at which point construction of the new arena began. 4,000 piles were driven under the stadium's foundations. Ninety thousand cubic metres of concrete and 23,000 tonnes of steel were used to build the facility. The pitch was lowered by 4 m compared to the previous stadium.

 At the start of construction, the opening date was set for May 2006, so that the facility would be ready for the FA Cup final. By early 2006, however, it became clear that the delays were too great to complete the work in time. In the end, construction took almost a year longer than expected and the stadium was handed over to the English federation on March 9, 2007. 

The opening of the new Wembley was to be sealed with the FA Cup final. At least two events were required beforehand in order to obtain the safety certificate to host it, so two smaller ones were held at the stadium as recently as March 2007: On March 17, the venue was opened to the local residents and members of the England national team supporters' club for tours, and on March 24, an England v Italy under-21 national team match (3:3) was held.

Source Information:

https://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/eng/wembley_national_stadium

 South Africa’s largest stadium was built in 1989 between Soweto and Johannesburg, in a well commuted industrial area. Upon opening it was able to hold over 80,000 people, vast majority of whom were seated in a deep sunken bowl. Only the west side had an upper tier for the wealthier crowd, though none of the stadium was covered. 

 The stadium’s main purpose was to create a central venue for national team games and key domestic fixtures. It also soon began to serve as one of home grounds for Kaizer Chiefs. Just several years after opening it also became the main venue for 1996 African Cup of Nations. 

 Today’s FNB Soccer Stadium is much different from the old one. It was completely reconstructed in 2006-2009, when South Africa was preparing to host the 2010 World Cup (during which the stadium was known as Soccer City). The project consumed ZAR 3.3 billion (app. $440 million), although the price was later proven to be inflated artificially by colluding contractors. Still, the project’s outcome is impressive. 

 The sunken bowl was retained during reconstruction, though some of the upper rows have been removed. All prefab elements of the bowl were laid anew, while two tiers of new concrete stands were added above. 

 Together with two rings of skyboxes (195 in total!) this increased capacity to nearly 95,000, making it the grandest stadium across Africa and one of the largest worldwide. Most seats are orange with only 10 thin black lines. These indicate directions to 9 remaining stadiums of the 2010 World Cup and the 10th leads to Berlin, where the previous edition ended. 

 The new seating layout was created by joint forces of Boogertman and Populous, two renowned design offices. They also created the huge outer cladding (68,000 square meters) shaped to resemble a calabash. Covered with a mosaic in natural colors and a clay-alike texture, the perforated cladding hides vast areas of inner promenades. 

 On top of it all is a light membrane roof, hovering some 40 meters above the field. It doesn’t span all the way inwards though, only covering the upper seats and leaving lower section open to the elements. This allows proper sunlight access and improves ventilation. 

 The stadium, aside from hosting numerous sports and entertainment events, has a special link to Nelson Mandela. This is where he first spoke after being released and where he made his last public appearance in 2010. Also, it's where his memorial ceremonies were held in 2013. 

Source Information:

https://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/rsa/soccer_city

 The largest stadium of the Qatar World Cup, hosted among other things, the event's final. It was built in Lusail, a new futuristic city under construction north of Doha and essentially a distant suburb of it. The venue itself is less than 20 km from the centre of the capital. An end station of one of Doha's metro lines is built next to the stadium. 

 Preparatory work began back in 2015 and actual construction began in spring 2017. The final concept for the stadium was kept secret for a long time and was only presented to the wider public in late 2018, when work was already at an advanced stage. The facility was practically ready at the end of 2021, but the first matches were played there in the summer of 2022. 

The stadium has a football-specific layout, with stands located just behind the pitch and surrounding it on all sides. The high stands can accommodate 88,966 spectators, making the venue one of the largest in the Middle East. The auditorium has been divided into only two tiers. A LED screen has been placed in each corner. The grandstands are covered by a vast 45,000 m2 membrane roof, one of the largest of its kind in the world. Among other things, the facility is equipped with a cooling system.

 The architectural concept is based on traditional local motifs. The form of the building resembles a traditional bowl, and the triangular patterns on the golden façade and in the color scheme of the seats were taken from lamps formerly used in Qatar. In addition, the roof membrane has been shaped to create a bird's-eye-view ornament made up of numerous rhombuses. 

 During the World Cup, the stadium hosted six group matches, one round of 16, one quarter-final, one semi-final and the grand final of the event. After the tournament, the upper level of the stands was dismantled and the capacity was reduced to 40,000 spectators. The venue has been partially transformed into a public facility, housing schools, cafés, shops, clinics, etc. 

Source Information:

https://stadiumdb.com/tournaments/world_cup/2022/lusail_stadium

 Yokohama is Japan's second largest city, and considering its close proximity to Tokyo, it is hard to tell where one of these two sprawling metropolises ends and the other begins. Nevertheless, the city by the bay clings fiercely to its separate character and identity. Since Commander Perry landed his ships in the area some 150 years ago, the city has tried to present a very international and "chic" image to set itself apart from its larger neighbor. The glittering skyscrapers and bustling neighborhoods of Yokohama show the most modern side of Japan. 

 Yokohama is about 30 minutes by train from Tokyo, and the stadium is just a short train ride to the north of Yokohama City, easily accessible from a number of key train lines and expressways. Yokohama likes to consider itself a "hotbed" of football, though it probably will have to take a back seat to some of the local towns in nearby Shizuoka prefecture and Ibaraki, to the west, where football is the only game in town. Yokohama sports fans split their loyalties with the Yokohama Bay Stars baseball team. 

 Nevertheless, the region has a long history of support for the sport. In the mid-1990s, Yokohama was host to two of the most popular teams in the J.League. Unfortunately, financial difficulties forced the Yokohama Flugels into bankruptcy, and they eventually merged with their cross-town rivals, the Yokohama Marinos. The Marinos, however, are still one of the core teams in the J.League, and they make their home in Yokohama International Stadium which hosted five games including the World Cup final match. 

 Yokohama Stadium is one of the few World Cup venues in Korea and Japan that was not built specifically for the World Cup. The stadium was completed in 1997, and hosted a number of key international matches, including the semifinal and final of the 2001 Confederations Cup, prior to its selection as the site of the 2002 World Cup final. Although it is not football-only exclusive, the stadium was chosen as the site of the final match in part because of its magnificent broadcasting facilities. The high-tech cameras at the Yokohama Stadium gave TV viewers unprecedented angles and crystal-clear coverage of every play at the 2002 World Cup.

Source Information:

 http://www.jsoccer.com/new/stadium/316-yokohama-sta

 The site for FC Barcelona's seventh stadium was purchased over a mile west of Camp de Les Corts (their previous stadium up until that point in time). On March 28, 1954, a celebratory procession set out from the old stadium towards the newly purchased site, followed by the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone of the new stadium in front of a large crowd. At first, however, there was not much going on at the construction site, and works were mainly focused on the design of the new arena. The main architects of the stadium were Francesc Mitjans Miró (cousin of the then president of the club, Francesc Miró-Sansa) and Josep Soteras Mauri, in collaboration with Lorenzo García Barbón. 

 On July 11, 1955, the contract for the construction was signed with the main contractor, Ingar SA, who, for a sum of 66.62 million pesetas, pledged to build the facility within 18 months. The money was to come mainly from the club's members, the so-called socios, who bought bonds and passes in large numbers for up to 5 years. However, the construction costs far exceeded the originally planned budget, eventually reaching 288 million pesetas. The club did meet the payments, although it was heavily indebted. The financial crisis was only brought under control after the sale of the previous stadium (there were initially problems with the reclassification of the land on which the structure stood, and the issue was resolved after a few years, thanks in part to the intercession of Spanish leader Francisco Franco). 

The pitch of the new stadium was dug in 8 metres below ground level. It was surrounded on all sides by unified, gently profiled, two-level stands, with the second tier, based on a reinforced concrete structure, being considerably larger than the lower one. A third, narrow row of stands was also added on the west side and a roof was erected to cover all levels of the western stands. The original capacity was 93,053 spectators. Plans for further expansion to a capacity of up to 150,000 spectators were also drawn up at the time of design.

The opening of the new stadium took place on September 24, 1957 (although the finishing works were still going on). Legia Warsaw was invited to the opening match, but by decision of the Polish Football Association (PZPN) a team made up of players from all over Poland flew to Barcelona and played under the banner of Warsaw team, with the mermaid crest on their jerseys. In front of an audience of 90,000, the hosts won the opening match 4:2.

  The new venue was simply named, Estadi del FC Barcelona (FC Barcelona stadium). This name was confirmed in a club referendum in 1965, although in fact an even simpler name, Camp Nou (the new stadium), was popular among supporters. In 2000/01 another vote was held among club members and this time Camp Nou was approved as the official name. 

The stadium did not undergo many changes and modernizations in its early days, the most important of which were the installation of floodlights (inaugurated for the European Cup match against CSKA Sofia on September 23, 1959) and the installation of a digital scoreboard in 1976.

 Following Spain's hosting of the 1982 World Cup, the stadium was extended between 1980 and 1982 at a cost of 1.298 billion pesetas to include a third tier of stands. The only thing that did not need to be changed was the western stand, where a narrow strip of the third tier already existed, but it was extended across the entire facility and, as it moves away from the western stand, it gets increasingly higher, reaching its maximum elevation on the eastern side. 

 Along with the third storey also came two new wide LED boards, which were erected on the tops of the stands behind the goals. The extension fulfilled the original design from 1957, but the capacity did not increase to 150,000 spectators as originally planned, but to 120,000 due to the installation of more seating. During the expansion, a VIP area and press boxes were also added to the stands. 

 Another major upgrade took place between 1993 and 1994, when the lower ring of stands was completely rebuilt, the ditch separating the pitch from the stands was removed and the pitch was lowered by an additional 2.5 metres. Standing places were also removed. In 1998, the stadium was equipped with new floodlighting and sound systems and a new underground car park under the main stand. Due to new regulations, the capacity of the venue fell slightly below 100,000 spectators in the late 1990s. Since the 2016/17 season, the pitch of the Camp Nou stadium has been equipped with a hybrid turf. 

 Between 2006 and 2009, the stadium underwent the largest seating upgrade in the world. The stadium's capacity is currently 99,354 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Europe and one of the largest in the world. The seats in the stands are in the club's colors - maroon (first and third floors) and dark blue (second floor), with the inscription 'FC Barcelona' on the western stand and the club's motto 'Més que un club' on the opposite side. The maximum height of the venue is 48 metres and it covers an area of 55,000 square metres. Inside the stadium there are, among others, offices, press rooms, television studios, a medical centre and even a chapel. The stadium was awarded UEFA's highest category in the 1998/99 season. 

The stadium is located in a dense urban area, although outside of Barcelona's inner city. Parking facilities are available within the venue as well as in the vicinity, however parking options are quite limited on match days. The stadium is well accessible by public transport, including several metro stations in its proximity.

Attendance at FC Barcelona's stadium is one of the highest in Europe (for example, from 2004 until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the average number of spectators per match in a season only once fell below 70,000). Barça is one of the most recognizable football clubs in the world, making a significant contribution to increasing attendances from tourists, estimated at up to 10 000 per game. This is also helped by the fact that Barcelona itself is a city frequented by tourists. Tours of the stadium, which is one of the most popular attractions in Barcelona, are also possible outside match days. It is combined with a visit to the club museum, which is one of the most visited museums in Catalonia.

 Planning for the next expansion of the stadium started as early as the beginning of the 21st century. In 2007, an architectural concept competition was held and the vision by foster + Partners won, according to which the expanded stadium would hold more than 106,000 spectators. Due to the global financial crisis that followed shortly afterwards, the project ultimately failed to materialize. 

 In 2014, a referendum was held among the club's members in favor of the Espai Barça project, a vision to redevelop FC Barcelona's sports facilities, including the modernization of  Camp Nou as a major investment. So, in 2016, another competition was held for a concept for the modernization of the stadium, in which the vision prepared by Nikken Sekkei, Joan Pascual and Ramon Ausio 

Arguitectes won. The project included, among other things, an expansion to a capacity of more than 105,000 spectators and full roofing of the stands. With investment costs rising exponentially, another internal referendum was held at the end of 2021, with members agreeing to complete Espai Barça on a budget of no more than €1.5 billion (900 million of which was to go towards the Camp Nou upgrade). The stadium redevelopment completed sometime in 2025. 

 The venue also hosted some of the matches at the 2030 World Cup. 

Source Information:

https://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/esp/camp_nou

 The story of Atletico's Metropolitano stadium began a long, long time ago, back in 1988. Back then the competition for design of Madrid's largest athletic stadium was carried out. By late 1993 the 20,000-capacity venue was ready and it offered two distinctive features. 

 First, all of the capacity was cumulated within the west side, spread across two tiers. Second, the comb-alike concrete facade earned it the nickname La Peineta, which was in use for many years. Indeed, the rough concrete walls with rhythmic openings stood out. 

 While impressive and built with high hopes, the stadium proved to have little use. Hosting events only incidentally, it saw its first major international athletic meeting in 2002, after 8 years in operation. Days of glory were expected to come later, with Madrid consequently bidding to host the Olympics in 2012, 2016 and 2020 only to see all three bids fall through. 

 After the painful failures only one key element of the Olympic dream remained: making the stadium into a truly iconic structure. Back when the 2nd Olympic bid was still in play, the city of Madrid and Atletico agreed that the club would relocate here and, should the Olympics be granted, allow for temporary conversion to Olympic mode. For Atletico Madrid the stadium was a lucrative move with its main stand ready. It also had convenient access and good public transport beside the eastern ring-road. 

 Design work was carried out, as it had been from the start in 1988, by Cruz y Ortiz. To reconfigure a track and field stadium into football-only layout they dug the field further into the ground, resulting in it being sunken 15 meters below ground level. The semi-rectangular lowermost tier is visibly flat but what the architects achieved was better distance between the first row and players than at Vicente Calderón. The field is just 6-9 meters away, even if the distance grows significantly with every row and is quite long for fans in the upper ring. 

 Along the initial financial framework the stadium was to be financed by the provate developer in exchange for land under Vicente Calderón and nearby Mahou brewery. However, the economic crash and collapse of the Spanish real estate market caused significant changes in the scheme, forcing Atletico Madrid to put forward vast amounts of money, to begin the renovations with €60.3 million for the land itself. The financial turmoil was among the reasons for the stadium being completed late, seeing groundbreaking in late 2011 and the handover taking place in late summer of 2017. 

 Due to the vast space taken by previously-athletic stadium and efforts to put fans as close as possible, the auditorium is very spacious. This caused the roof to cover 96% (instead of the preferred 100%) of fans. At the same time the layout offered immense amount of floor space beneath ground level, this was used to hold 1,035 parking spaces on two levels. Outside the stadium further 3,000 cars can find their spot on matchdays. 

 With two floor used for parking, the stadium still offers up to 5 levels for other uses, creating great infrastructure for one of Spain's most extensive corporate hospitality offers. Within the newly-built grandstands there's a long strip of 94 skyboxes, while further premium seats were installed within the main stand. 

 The entire stadium is topped by a masterpiece of engineering and key architectural feature: the crown. We could call it a roof but that seems a bit modest. Though its overall surface is just 46,500 m2, the roof actually uses 83,000 m2 of PTFE due to the way its formed. It seems very fitting that the roof has vibrant nighttime illumination, allowing it to come alive on matchdays. 

 Source Information:

https://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/esp/estadio_metropolitano

 The London Stadium was designed by renowned architects of Populous. It was presented in Nov 2007, long ahead of 2012 Olympics, for which the venue was the centre point. Along with legacy plans accepted by the IOC it was to have a capacity of 80,000 during the 2012 Olympic Games and 25,000 afterwards, with an athletics track left intact. Upper tiers of seating were to be recycled.

  Regular construction works started in May 2008, but the preparatory works date back to mid-2007. Along with the progress of the huge project in Stratford numerous controversies were raised for aesthetic, financial and political reasons. The main structure was ready in 2011, but the opening of the venue was delayed until May 2012. 

 During construction the legacy plans were changed with football use being the preferred future and West Ham United the preferred tenant. Despite numerous protests, the selection was sustained and in 2014 reconfiguration began to make the stadium as suitable for football as possible. 

 This includes installation of the world’s largest cantilever roof, retractable lower tiers and permanent sanitary/commercial infrastructure around the stands. All of these efforts were chosen to allow the maximization of revenue for Premier League fixtures and also to host athletics events in the summer. 

Source Information:

https://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/eng/london_olympic_stadium