Although the internet allows us to watch our favorite sport wherever we go, there’s something special about going to the stadium and watching the action as it unfolds. Many people like doing this because it makes the sport even more interesting to watch. That’s the reason why some of the biggest sports and clubs worldwide have massive stadiums.
The information provided by Nostrabet.com reveals that the Narendra Modi Stadium’s capacity of 132,000 makes it the largest one in India, as well as the world. “Some people may have difficulties imagining the size of this thing. Some cities in some parts of Europe have fewer populations than this stadium’s capacity. Since India is the world’s largest country in terms of people, it’s no surprise it also has the largest stadium”, said Veselin from Nostrabet.
Interestingly, some sources claim that the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea is actually the largest one in the world. While it’s true it can hold up to 150,000, this number can only be so high if most people do not have a seat. This is not the case with the Narendra Modi Stadium, so we put it first on the list.
What’s interesting about this stadium is that it is known as Motera Stadium, and it’s not for football. Instead, the stadium is designed for cricket, which is the biggest sport in this part of the world.
Narendra Modi Stadium is located in India, and its field size is 160 meters. The construction began in 1983, but the stadium underwent several expansions. In fact, the authorities decided to demolish it and build it from the ground up in 2015. The project was completed 5 years later and opened its doors in 2020.
There are several other stadiums that deserve more attention. Let’s dive into our list of the world’s largest stadiums and learn more details about each one.
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium – 114,000
As mentioned earlier, some sources will say that North Korea’s largest stadium is actually the largest one in the world. However, following the renovations of Narendra Modi Stadium, the latter took the first place.
North Korea is a controversial country, to say the least, but it has a lot of interesting things, one of which is this stadium. Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is not built for a specific sport, which is why most people classify it as a multi-purpose one. Reports say people use it for football games, athletics, and more.
The interesting design of the stadium resembles a magnolia blossom, which makes it stand out. As its name implies, it’s located on Rungra Island, and it opened its sports in 1989. Interestingly, the construction began in 1986. Of course. It also had several renovations over the years, with the latest one in 2015.
Michigan Stadium – 107,601
The next giant stadium (as well as all after that) is located in the USA. Michigan Stadium, also known as The Big House, is America’s largest stadium. It’s designed as a football stadium and hosts the games of the University of Michigan.
Unlike some of the other options on the list, this one was built in 1927, almost 100 years ago. Although its original capacity was “only” 72,000, it was still one of the largest in the world.
Considering its age, it’s no surprise that the Michigan Stadium underwent many expansions and renovations. The last one is from 2010, but there have been a total of 5 expansions before that.
Bernard L. Green is the person behind this beautiful facility, which has become a landmark in the state of Michigan.
Beaver Stadium – 106,572
The next name on the list is another college football stadium, but this time, it’s located in Pennsylvania. Beaver Stadium is the home of the Pennsylvania State University, and it began its construction in 1959. When it was first opened in 1960, the stadium had a capacity of 69,000 people. Of course, there were many renovations and expansions over the years, with the latest one in 2011.
Interestingly, this stadium is named after James A. Beaver, who was Pennsylvania’s governor between 1887 and 1891. He was native to a town nearby and was the president of the board of trustees of the University of Pennsylvania.
The stadium’s official sitting capacity is 106 572, making it a bit smaller than the one in Michigan. However, considering the growing popularity of sports in the USA, it could increase in size.
Ohio Stadium- 102,780
American football has tons of fans in the USA because another stadium dedicated to this sport is the next name on the list. Ohio Stadium is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it’s the home of the Ohio State University. This is an American football stadium that first opened its doors in 1922, meaning it is more than 100 years old.
This is one of the most interesting stadiums in the world for many reasons. Between 1996 and 1998, it was used by the Columbus Crew of MLS before the latter moved to their own stadium. Besides being used for sports events, Ohio Stadium is also a huge concert venue home to the likes of Metallica, Pink Floyd, Taylor Swift, and many others.
Even though it is more than 100 years old, the stadium experienced several renovations and expansions. The latest one is from 2014.
Kyle Field – 102,733
Up next, we have a stadium that’s located in Texas and it’s called Kyle Field. This is the campus of Texas A&M University and is yet another stadium for American football. In addition to its impressive capacity of 102,733 people, the interesting thing about it is that it was created in 1904, making it one of the oldest in the world.
Even though it started out with a capacity of 500 people, Kyle Field experienced tons of renovations and expansions over the years. Nowadays. It is one of the largest stadiums in the world and definitely the largest one in the USA.
An interesting fact about it is that its original construction cost more than 100 years ago was around $650. However, the expansions from 2014 and 2015 cost a whopping $483M. An interesting fact about it is that a lot of football experts think this is the most intimidating stadium in the nation. This explains why the home team often achieves really good results.
Neyland Stadium – 102,455
The next stadium we want to talk about is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it can gather up to 102,455 people. Neyland Stadium is the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but it was also the home of several NFL games. Like some of the other big stadiums in the USA, this one is over 100 years old.
Neyland Stadium opened its doors in 1921, but it has gone through a total of 16 expansions after that. The most recent one is from 1996, whereas the most recent renovation took place in 2022.
McCarty Holsaple is the person behind it, and the stadium’s initial cost was around $42,000.That said, the renovations from 2004 and 2010 were around $136.4M.
Honorable mentions
There are several other big stadiums in the USA that deserve more attention, such as the Tiger Stadium, Darrel K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, and Bryant-Denny Stadium. With that said, there are a few big venues outside the USA that also have to be here.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, for example, is Australia’s largest sports stadium. Nicknamed “The G”, it is more than 170 years old, making it one of the oldest stadiums in the world right now. Melbourne Cricket Ground can host a total of 100,024 people.
Of course, football (soccer) fans are also represented by one stadium and it belongs to Barcelona. When writing this, Camp Nou is the biggest soccer stadium in Europe because it can hold up to 99,354 people. Europe has a few other big stadiums that are undergoing renovations, including Santiago Bernabeu. This means that it could become larger than Barcelona’s stadium.
Lastly, we have the FNB Stadium in South Africa, known as Soccer City. What’s interesting about this stadium is that it opened its doors in 1989. However, due to the FIFA World Cup that took place in the country, the authorities made a complete renovation in 2009. Interestingly, the nickname “Soccer City” came to be because FIFA did not want to promote the sponsor’s name. The latter is First National Bank (hence the name FNB Stadium).
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