Most will tell you the stadium in which their fave club or country play, and not the real best stadium
Being objective, I'll give the TOP ELEVEN + one non-footballing stadium in my opinion
I take into consideration the architecture, seating capacity, and historic matches that took place there
1) AZTECA, MEXICO CITY
120,000
1970 FIFA World Cup semifinal: Italy 4-3 Germany
1986 FIFA World Cup quarter: Argentina 2-1 England
- the 'Match of the Century'
- Maradona's Hand of God
- the 'Goal of the Century'
The only stadium to have hosted two FIFA World Cup finals as of 2008
One of very few stadiums to have hosted FIFA world Cup and Summer Olympics
The greatest from historical point of view
2) EMIRATES, LONDON
60,000
2006 Dennis Bergkamp testimonial
Arsenal Legends 2-1 Ajax Legends
One of the most advanced stadiums in Premier League
3) MARACANA, RIO
100,000 spectators
1950 FIFA World Cup final
Uruguay 2-1 Brazil
Used to have 200,000 capacity, the record unlikely to be broken
So used to be the greatest in terms of size
4) NATIONAL STADIUM or BIRD'S NEST, BEIJING
80,000
2008 Summer Olympics soccer final
(to be determined)
The breakthrough stadium of the decade, and in my opinion the most daring in history
The greatest from architecture point of view
5) OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER
70,000
2001 FIFA World Cup qualifier
England 2-2 Greece (Beckham's last-minute free kick equaliser)
2007 UEFA Champions League quarter final
United 7-1 Roma
'The Theatre of Dreams' says it all
6) OLYMPIASTADION, MUNICH
70,000
1974 FIFA World Cup final
Germany 2-1 Netherlands
The most advanced stadium at the time when it opened (1970s)
One of very few stadiums to have hosted FIFA world Cup and Summer Olympics
7) NOU CAMP, BARCELONA
90,000
1999 UEFA Champions League final
United 2-1 Bayern (two goals in last two minutes)
The biggest stadium in Europe
8) RASUNDA, STOCKHOLM
35,000
1958 FIFA World Cup final
Brazil 5-2 Sweden
1995 FIFA Women's World Cup final
Norway 2-0 Germany
The first stadium to have hosted both Men's and Women's FIFA World Cup finals
9) ROSE BOWL, CALIFORNIA
100,000
1994 FIFA World Cup final
Brazil 0-0 (3-2) Italy
1999 FIFA Women's World Cup final
United States 0-0 (5-4) China
Only the second stadium to have hosted both Men's and Women's FIFA World Cup finals
10) RUNGRADO MAY DAY, PYONGYANG
150,000
Currently the biggest in the world
The site of superb North Korean parades
The stadium where harmony really materialises
11) WEMBLEY, LONDON
90,000
1966 FIFA World Cup final
England 4-2 Germany
Self proclaimed inventor of modern football, its only fitting to include the main stadium in England
Site of biggest FIFA World Cup final controversy ever, Geoff' Hurst's on-the-line goal
*) A twelfth great stadium is the National Aquatics Centre, or better known as Water Cube in Beijing
Also built to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, its as breakhthrough as the Bird's Nest
Best view comes at night when it glows in blue
There are many grand non-footballing stadiums in the world but this is the one that really stands out
Come to Beijing to see with your own eyes
HOPE YOU LIKE IT
lightofwadowice