4 Largest Football Stadiums in Europe
Football’s lasting popularity has meant that more and more supporters want to see their beloved teams play for glory, which has resulted in larger (and more impressive) stadiums and playing grounds being erected.
Gaze in amazement at these following four stadiums from across Europe that boast a superior number of seats:
4. Croke Park – 82 300
Nestled in the heart of Dublin, Ireland, this stadium – which was built in 1884 – is named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, one of the patrons of the Gaelic Athletic Association, which organises and runs most sporting activities in the country, and is Ireland’s largest sports ground.
It originally could house 27 000 people, but underwent an expansion program that saw completion in 2005 and greatly increased the number of seats to 82 300.
3. Santiago Bernabeu – 83 186
It is an understatement to say that Spain is a football-mad nation, and their stadiums reflect this love of the beautiful game. Named after legendary footballer Santiago Bernabeu, the Madrid-based home ground of Real Madrid was constructed in 1947.
At the time of its construction, the playing grounds boasted impressive capacity at over 75 000 spectators, but recent renovations gave the La Liga stadium increased its space to 83 136-strong audience.
2. Wembley Stadium – 90 000
On the other side of Europe, the English are just as frenetic about their football – if you’ll excuse the rowdy hooligans – and the most impressive gem in their arena crown is the world-famous Wembley Stadium.
Easily the largest stadium in England, Wembley was constructed in a peaceful suburb of London and first opened its gates in 1923, but was rebuilt into a towering colossus in 2007. The home of English football now has a capacity of 90 000 fans, and has hosted countless music and sporting events.
1. Camp Nou – 99 000
Remember that Spain is a football-mad nation? They lay claim to having the largest grounds in all of Europe as Camp Nou can cram in nearly 100 000 people.
The home of Barcelona FC came into being in 1957, but underwent several expansions before becoming the behemoth of football you see today. It was bursting at the seams when it saw a record attendance of over 120 000 for the Barcelona vs Juventus Euro Cup quarter final in 1986!
