What Is the Biggest Football Stadium in the World?

big football stadium - but is it the biggest?

What is the biggest football stadium in the world? 

Here at MysteryFootball, we are (obviously) focussed on football shirts - current, retro, or mystery boxes - but there would be nowhere to wear the shirts if there were no football stadiums!

Therefore, our experts have scoured the web to make a list of the top ten biggest football stadiums in the world. Will you be able to guess which is number one?

What Is the Biggest Football Stadium in the World? The Top 10!

Let’s take a look at the ten biggest football stadiums in the world…

10) Cotton Bowl Stadium

Fact File: 

Location

United States

Capacity

92,100

City 

Dallas

First up on our list of what is the biggest football stadium in the world is Dallas’ Cotton Bowl Stadium. 

It originally opened in 1930 and has been expanded multiple times to reach its current capacity size:

  • 1949
  • 1993
  • 2008

It was one of nine stadiums used in the 1994 World Cup.

9) Rose Bowl Stadium

Fact File: 

Location

United States

Capacity

92,800

City 

Pasadena

The Rose Bowl is a stadium in Pasadena that first opened in 1922. Now over 100 years old, it is recognised as a National Historic Landmark! 

It is a well-known football stadium, having hosted the 1994 World Cup and the 1999 Women’s World Cup. 

Image Source: Ohio State Football

8) New Administrative Capital Stadium

Fact File: 

Location

Egypt

Capacity

93,940

City 

New Administrative Capital

The New Administrative Capital Stadium only opened in January 2024 but is already eighth on the list of the biggest football stadiums in the world!

Also known as the Misr Stadium, it is part of the Egypt International Olympic City - a large sporting complex that’s been under construction since 2015. The complex is set to have:

  • Training ground
  • Two indoor halls
  • Olympic-size swimming pool

Let's see if this will help the country's bid for the World Cup...

7) FNB Stadium

Fact File: 

Location

South Africa

Capacity

94,736

City 

Johannesburg

The First National Bank (FNB) Stadium was first opened in 1989 and is home to the Kaizer Chiefs as well as the South African national football team. For the 2010 World Cup, the site had a complete transformation with a new design!

It is inspired by the shape of the calabash - an African pot - and on the outside has a mosaic of fire with lights underneath to emulate a pot bubbling on the fire. The inside is just as impressive. Each stand is separated with ten black lines - nine to geographically signal to the other stadiums involved with the 2010 World Cup. However, nine is an unlucky number in South African tradition, so a tenth was added which aligns with the Berlin Olympic Stadium which housed the previous World Cup final. 

Outside of the world of football, the stadium was where Nelson Mandela had his first speech in Johannesburg after his prison release as well as where his memorial service was held for him in 2013. 


Image Source: World Best Stadium

6) Estadio Azteca

Fact File: 

Location

Mexico

Capacity

95,500

City 

Mexico City

The Estadio Azteca is the sixth biggest football stadium in the world. Originally opened in 1966, it has been renovated four times to increase its capacity:

  • 1986
  • 1999
  • 2013
  • 2016

It is the home to team Club América as well as the national Mexican football team

Thought of as one of the most famous football stadiums ever, it has hosted two World Cup finals! The 1970 final where Brazil beat Italy 4-1 and in the 1986 final West Germany lost 3-2 to Argentina. 

However, it is perhaps best known for the iconic Argentina and England 1986 quarter-final where Diego Maradona scored the ‘Hand of God goal’ and ‘Goal of the Century’. 

What a stadium!

5) Camp Nou

Fact File: 

Location

Spain

Capacity

99,354

City 

Barcelona

Next on our list of what is the biggest football stadium in the world is Camp Nou. The name means ‘New Field’ and has been the home of La Liga football team Barcelona since it first opened in 1957. 

The stadium has seen a number of Champions League shirts grace the pitch thanks to hosting two Champions League finals in 1989 and 1999. 

Camp Nou has been under renovation since the end of the 2022-23 season and is expected to be completed in June 2026! The updates will expand the capacity of the stadium to 105,000… 

Maybe we’ll need to revisit this list then to see where it ranks once completed!

Image Source: Camp Nou

4) Melbourne Cricket Ground

Fact File: 

Location

Australia

Capacity

100,024

City 

Melbourne

We know what you’re thinking: How has a cricket ground made the list of what is the biggest football stadium in the world?

Well, that’s because the name is slightly misleading… it’s not just a cricket ground! 

The stadium was built way back in 1853 and has obviously been renovated various times since - most notably for the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 1956 Summer Olympics. 

However, perhaps most importantly (to us), it has been home for FIFA World Cup qualifiers! Like in 1997 when it was home to a crucial game between Australia and Iran - it ended 2-2 with Iran advancing much to Australia’s sorrow. 

There was more upset for Australia’s football team in the 2001 qualifier against Uruguay. Although they won that match, Uruguay won the second leg which led to them progressing to the next stage. 

The team finally found happiness after winning the 2009 qualifier against Japan with Tim Cahill scoring both goals for a 2-1 victory!

3) Ohio Stadium

Fact File: 

Location

United States

Capacity

102,780

City 

Columbus

Ohio Stadium is the American football stadium of Ohio State University’s Buckeyes football team. It was originally opened in 1922 with a capacity of 66,210. Since then, it has been expanded various times to give the stadium its new capacity of 102,780. These times include: 

  • 1948
  • 1991
  • 2001
  • 2014 

The stadium has multiple nicknames, such as ‘The Horseshoe’ or ‘The Shoe’ due to its horseshoe shape. It is also known as ‘The House That Harley Built’ after Chic (Charles) Harley - an iconic player who is known for bringing Ohio State University’s football team to national attention. 

Image Source: Ohio State Football

2) Michigan Stadium

Fact File: 

Location

United States

Capacity

107,601

City 

Ann Arbor

It may be nicknamed ‘The Big House’ but unfortunately Michigan Stadium isn’t the biggest stadium in the world, but it is the largest in the United States. 

First opened in 1927, this is the stadium for the University of Michigan American football team. The original stadium capacity was 72,000 and has been expanded numerous times to accommodate fans:

  • 1928
  • 1949
  • 1956
  • 1973
  • 1992
  • 1998
  • 2010

The 2010 expansion also included a renovation of the stadium.

1) Rungrado 1st of May Stadium 

Fact File: 

Location

North Korea

Capacity

114,000

City 

Pyongyang

In the top spot is Rungrado 1st of May Stadium. Located in North Korea, this is the biggest football stadium in the world as it can host 114,000 fans! The stadium first opened in 1989 and is home to the men and women North Korean football teams. 

At the time, it was the largest stadium to ever be built in Asia and is still to this date the biggest football stadium in the world!

Image Source: World Stadiums

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