World Football's Top 10 Stadiums

A football match is not just about the 22 players on the pitch. Spectators play a huge part in the occasion. The design of a stadium and the atmosphere it generates can have an intimidating effect on players and officials which can even influence the result. As new stadiums start to dominate the sporting skyline around the world, this list pays homage to great venues which have stood the test of time.

1. Maracana, Rio De Janeiro

Home to the Brazilian national side and Rio's Vasco De Gama club, the first side back in the 1920's to sign African players. The Maracana was built for the 1950 World Cup Finals and at one time crowds of 200,000 were not unknown. Today capacity has been reduced to 96,000 but the stadium still retains a great aura.

Maracana, Rio De Janeiro

2. Nou Camp, Barcelona

Home to FC Barcalona, the Nou Camp has a capacity of just under 100,000 and has hosted many great games, including European finals and World Cup matches. It was completed in 1957 and with various enhancements the tiered structure now reaches to a height of 48 metres in one side of the ground.

3. Santiago Bernabau, Madrid

Built in 1947, the Santiago Bernabau stadium is the home of Real Madrid, one of the world's most famous clubs. It was also the host for the 1982 World Cup Final and various European club finals over the years.

4. Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

The Azteca has played host to two World Cup finals, one of which was the great Brazil v Italy match in 1970. The Mexican national team play here as does the Club America side. It was inaugurated in 1966 and has a capacity of 105,000. An imposing venue, it is known as "Il Coloso de Santa Úrsula" (the Colossus of Saint Úrsula).

5. San Siro, Milan

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as the San Siro, is home Inter Milan and AC Milan, historically two of Europe's most successful club sides. The stadium has a capacity of 80,000 fans, and is one of the largest stadiums in Italy. A common feature at matches are flares, banners and chanting from the Ultras.

6. Westfalenstadion, Dortmund

The home of Borussia Dortmund, the Westfalenstadion is officially know as Signal Iduna Park, the name of it's sponsor. It is one of Germany's largest sporting venues and has a fanatical support base, regularly selling over 50,000 season tickets. It is famous for it's unique "Südtribüne" (Southern Stand), where 24,000 fans populate Europe's largest standing terrace.

7. La Bombonera, Buenes Aires

Based in the Boca neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, La Bombonera is home to the Boca Juniors, the team that brought us Diego Maradona. Not the prettiest stadium in the world but the steep banking and closeness to the pitch create a very special atmosphere. The local derby against River Plate is not for the faint hearted.

8. Wembley Stadium, London

The fame of Wembley spreads beyond the world of football. Originally built in the 1920's, the reconstructed Wembley opened for business again in 2007 at a cost of £800 million. It has hosted the Olympic Games, a World Cup final and many European club finals. It now has an all seater capacity of 90,000 and features not just football but many other sporting and non sporting events.

Wembley Stadium, London

9. Azadi Stadium, Tehran

The Azadi Stadium is home to the Iranian national team and has a capacity of 100,000. It is an intimidating venue for visiting teams and is home to Tehran's two major football clubs, Perespolis FC and Esteghlal FC. The atmosphere at games between these two sides at the Azadi (known as the Sorkhabi) rivals anything offered by big city derbies the world over.

10. La Casa Blanca, Quito

Estadio de Liga Deportiva Universitaria, commonly called La Casa Blanca is the home ground of LDU Quito. It's a rogue entry in this top ten list as it was only finished in 1997. With a capacity of 55,400, it is only the second largest stadium in Ecuador but it enters our top ten because at 2800 metres, the altitude confers a significant advantage for the Ecuador national team in international competition.

The Next Amazing World Architecture 2022 World Cup Stadium in Qatar

Foster and Partners unveiled their design for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid, the Lusail Iconic Stadium which will provide a world-class football facility for 86,250 spectators during the opening ceremony, group games and final. Reflecting Doha’s culture and heritage, the stadium is designed to be highly energy efficient and capable of performing in extreme summer climatic conditions.

The stadium has a near-circular footprint and sits on the masterplan’s primary axis, which divides the stadium precinct into two halves. Encircled by a reflective pool of water, spectators cross the ‘moat’ to enter the building via six bridges. An outer pedestrian concourse extends from the water towards an array of smaller amenity buildings and a hotel at the stadium’s perimeter.

The saddle-form roof appears to float above the concrete seating bowl, discreetly supported by a ring of arching columns. Its central section can be retracted to allow the pitch to be either open to the sky or fully covered. The concave profile of the stadium’s outer enclosure evokes the sails of a traditional dhow boat and incorporates a system of operable louvres. Inside, the seating bowl is designed to enhance the experience and atmosphere for spectators: VIP and hospitality accommodation is concentrated along the sides of the pitch to create a continuous sea of fans behind each goal.

Located in the centre of a new development to the north of Doha, with direct connections by road and a new metro line, Lusail Iconic Stadium is intended to be a catalyst for further growth and has a highly progressive environmental strategy. Parking and service areas are shaded by canopies of solar collectors, which will produce energy for the stadium when it is in use, as well as generating power for neighbouring buildings.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar 2022 Bid, said: “The Lusail Iconic Stadium will serve as the perfect venue for the opening and final matches of the World Cup. The stadium will inspire a new generation of regional and international sports venues, incorporating environmentally friendly cooling technologies to ensure the ideal conditions for players and spectators alike. The design of the stadium provides fans with optimum views of the action in a cool and comfortable setting. Its beauty and ambition represent the pride and enthusiasm that we have displayed in our bid thus far and will continue to display until the day FIFA awards the 2022 World Cup and beyond.”