Following Brexit What Are The Largest European Football Stadiums?
Sorry to mention the B….. word and we promise to try to avoid using it again. But, how has the list of the Largest European Football Stadiums by capacity changed since January 1st 2021, when the UK voted to leave Europe. Having said that, British clubs continue to play in European competitions. However, we thought it right to remove our clubs from the list of the largest European Football Stadiums. So, what are the biggest stadiums and which countries supply most grounds on the list. Moreover, we found it very interesting to see how many UK stadiums fell off the list following the departure.
Croke Park in Dublin would qualify as the 3rd largest European sports stadium but doesn’t host club football.
How Many British Football Stadiums Were In The Top 10 Before Brexit?
Interestingly the UK had 2 stadiums in the top 10 European grounds listed by capacity, prior to Brexit. Firstly the Wembley, the National football stadium with 90,000, followed by Manchester United’s, Old Trafford with 74,197. Please note, capacities were correct at the time the UK voted to leave Europe. The Welsh National Stadium named The Millennium Stadium, would’ve crept up to number 10 in the list, so unfortunately we had to remove that one too.
Wembley and the Millennium Stadium are both National grounds though and do not have club football played at the venue. Nevertheless, these national stadiums do play host to some of the biggest club finals like the FA Cup, EFL Cup and other high profile knockout/play-off competitions.
Also noteworthy, whilst White Hart Lane was being rebuilt, Wembley became the temporary home to Tottenham Hotspur.
What Are The Biggest European Club Grounds?
| Ground | Club | Country | |
| Nou Camp | Barcelona | Spain | 99,354* |
| Bernabeu | Real Madrid | Spain | 83,168 |
| Signal Iduna Park | Borussia Dortmund | Germany | 81,365 |
| San Siro | AC Milan and Internazionale | Italy | 80,018 |
| Allianz Arena | FC Bayern Munich | Germany | 75,000 |
| Olympiastadion | Hertha BSC | Germany | 74,475 |
| Stadio Olimpico | AS Roma and SS Lazio | Italy | 70,634 |
| Metropolitano | Atletico Madrid | Spain | 70,460 |
| NSC Olimpiyskiy | Dynamo Kiev | Ukraine | 70,050 |
| Stade Velodrome | Olympique de Marseille | France | 67,394 |
What Are The Biggest European Stadiums?
It is interesting that Germany and Spain both have 3 teams in the top 10 European stadiums. The biggest european stadiums in Europe are playing catch up when compared to the home of FC Barcelona, which is known as The Nou Camp . It is noteworthy that even the biggest club ground in England, Old Trafford (74,197) would only be 7th on the list. Redeveloping an old stadium is very expensive and many clubs infrastructure won’t allow further developement.
The recent work on the Bernabeu Stadium allegedly cost almost €2 billion and that only added 3000 extra seats. In some cases it would be cheaper to build a new stadium out of town, then sell off the old stadium for new housing developement. Selling the old stadium partially offsets the cost of building the new stadium and infrastructure.
There are works taking place through to 2025 at Camp Nou to increase the capacity to around 105,000. Camp Nou was built in 1957 and the club briefly considered moving but this was rejected in 2014. Lack of funds was the main concern however, funding issues seem to have been addressed. Evidently, the new stadium will be known as the Spotify Nou Camp. In addition, it has been reported that this sponsorship deal was worth a staggering £237 million. Find the current list of the English Premier League Stadiums capacities. It is really interesting how the Premier League Stadiums compare to the top 10 Largest European Football Stadiums.
Other Notable Clubs Playing In The Biggest European Stadiums
Sitting at number 3, behind the Camp Nou and Bernabeu stadiums is Signal Iduna Park, home to Borrusia Dortmund. The Signal Iduna Park has a capacity of 81,365 and is also known as the Westfalenstadion. However, for sponsorship reasons the name was changed to replect the stadium sponsors. Furthermore, the SIP stadium plays host to the German national team too. If you find yourself in Dortmund, we suggest taking a tour of the Signal Iduna Park stadium, which gives you access to areas normally reserved for players and officials only.
If you are in Italy a visit to the San Siro stadium, in Milan, is also a must. Hosting games for both AC Milan and Inter Milan, you are sure to find a game to watch the magic unfold. Interestingly, the San Siro hosts the Italian national team too, which probably makes this the most used stadium in Europe. Furthermore we are amazed other clubs haven’t taken steps to ground share for financial reasons. Besides both Milan teams have succesfully shared the San Siro since 1947 and it would make economic sense for others to follow suit.
Tour Of Europe’s Biggest Football Stadium
If you happen to be visiting Barcelona, a tour of the Spotify Nou Camp is also a must. The stadium is currently the largest football stadium in Europe and finding time to visit, gives a fascinating insight, into one of the world’s biggest sporting arena’s. There are many levels of ticket to purchase with the basic ticket costing around €28. Other options include a tour of the team bus and even a helicopter flight over the stadium and surrounding areas.
Barcelona converted the old ice rink to transform 2,400 m2 area into a unique exhibition based on the history of the club, the players, and you even get to view the trophies. With the basic ticket on the BARÇA IMMERSIVE TOUR, you will be able to experience the entire exhibition first-hand, at your leisure. An audio guide is also provided which we are told is both Spanish and English, so is suitable for tourists wanting to take this unique stadium tour.
An alternative tour would be to go to on the Player’s Experience tour which costs around €99. You get the basic tour included as well as a coach trip to the players training arena. You get to see the where the player’s park their cars, train and also the changing rooms. To buy tickets for any or these amazing Spotify Nou Camp tours click here. Touring the largest European football stadiums is a growing trend amongst football fans. It appears to that visiting stadiums is now becoming a major attraction for city destinations. Football clubs are becoming more tourist friendly and are now offering exciting trips for football fanatics from across the world.
