1. Estádio do Maracanã, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
The Estádio do Maracanã is situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, named after the Maracanã neighborhood in Rio. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA WC, and the people of Rio witnessed Brazil come close to winning their first ever World Cup, by reaching the final in front of their home fans – but unfortunately, it was not to be, as Uruguay pipped Brazil to their second World Cup victory, winning the final in front of a staggering 199,854 people (yes, you read that right) – the highest attendance at a World Cup match in history. The stadium now seats 82,238 spectators, and is used for games between major clubs in the area – Flamengo (Ronaldinho’s current club), Fluminese (the current club of Deco and Fred) and Vasco da Gama to name a few. It has also hosted a variety of concerts and other sporting events.
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The Estádio do Maracanã in the foreground, Rio in the background.
At the moment, the Maracanã is closed for renovations, and will reach a total capacity of over 85,000 spectators in preparations for the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Paralympics, all to be held in Brazil. The reopening of the Maracanã is planned for early 2013, in time for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
2. Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany.
Considered by many to be the loudest stadium in all of Europe, the Westfalenstadion, or as it is officially named now (thanks to a sponsorship arrangement since 2005 that will run till 2016), the Signal Iduna Park is the home stadium of Borussia Dortmund, the reigning Bundesliga champions. It is famous for the Südtribüne, the terrace that is the largest standing area in any European football stadium that still exists. It has a capacity of 80,720 (which includes standing and seated areas), and is Germany’s biggest stadium.
The Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, packed during a Borussia Dortmund game.
It is considered to be one of the toughest stadiums to play at as an away team simply because of the atmosphere, and has earned a wide variety of nicknames. From being called “The Opera House of German Football”, and “The Temple”, the Westfalenstadion (in reference to the Südtribüne) has also earned the nickname of the “Yellow Wall”. Instead of explaining why – let me just show you.
3. ?ükrü Saraco?lu, Istanbul, Turkey.
The ?ükrü Saraco?lu Stadium in Istanbul is home to Fenerbahçe, one of the most successful and best supported clubs in all of Turkey, and play in the Süper Lig, the top-flight of the Turkish football league system. It is considered by some to be the scariest stadium to play in Europe despite its capacity of 53,586 (this is strictly numerically speaking, because a stadium of 53,000 people does not sound as staggering as it actually is).
The ?ükrü Saraco?lu Stadium in Istanbul, home to Fenerbahçe, and one of the toughest away fixture for almost any club
The stadium has helped Fenerbahçe on their way to becoming a successful club – a recent highlight for the stadium would be the 2-1 win against Chelsea in the home leg of the UCL quarterfinals in 2008. Considering the seats at the ?ükrü Saraco?lu are closer to the pitch than any other Turkish stadium, this truly is one of the toughest places to play for any opposing team.
4. Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Estadio Azteca is the only stadium in history to host two World Cup finals, in 1970 and in 1986. Situated in Mexico City, it is the biggest football stadium in the Americas, and is the home stadium of the Mexican national team and Club America. With a capacity of around 105,000, the sheer immenseness and monumental scale of the stadium means that it is definitely a stadium worth visiting. Here’s a video of the inside of the stadium taken by a fan in the stands during Mexico’s game against the USA in 2009.
The Estadio Azteca.
The Estadio Azteca has a lot of amazing history behind it – from Pele’s Brazil destroying Italy in 1970 in a brilliant display of passing football, and in 1986, when Maradona single-handedly (quite literally, if you understand the reference), won the World Cup for Argentina, even if he did not score in the final against West Germany. The semifinal in the 1970 between Germany and Italy was one of the most talked about World Cup games in history, which was eventually won 4-3 by Italy after extra-time, despite Gerd Müller’s late brace that won him the Golden Boot for the 1970 World Cup. As Steve Wilson of ESPN rightly said, “In the towering environs of the Azteca, you are not so much bathing in history as drowning in it”.
