FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou or Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu are Spain’s most famous stadiums, but if it was up to us Estadio Mestalla should be on the top of your list. Mestalla is an awe-inspiring stadium with incredibly steep, uncovered and colourful stands. It is the theatre where Valencia CF, one of Spain’s biggest clubs, plays its home matches. It is also the stadium where great players of the game have shone such as Mario Kempes, David Silva and David Villa.

A fantastic, large stadium and faithful and passionate fans. Newcastle United has it all. The club fits the city’s gritty and industrial image perfectly. The unique construction of St. James’ Park, where two stands are significantly taller than the others, leaves fans with a magnificent view of the working-class city. The club has a rich history with players such as Alan Shearer and David Ginola, but under the ownership of Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, it can soon become one of the best clubs in the world.

Marseille is the purest football city in France. Just like the city, Olympique de Marseille is rough and chaotic. Football is a religion here and the club is the beating heart of it. L’OM plays their home games in Stade Vélodrome which can hold up to 67,304 fans. From the outside, the stadium is an eye-catching spaceship that can be spotted from anywhere in the city. The wavy roof structure and the loyal and loud fans make it one of the most intimidating atmospheres in European football. This all makes up for an unforgettable football experience.

There are not many stadiums left where you can feel and find so much history as Fulham’s Craven Cottage. A distinctive stadium with beautiful Victorian architecture and narrow entrances. In one of the corners of the stadium, you can find an old cottage, where to this day the changing rooms of the home and away side are located. Nowadays, a modern Riverside stand has also been built, but this does not stand in the way of The Cottage’s beauty. The walk along the river Thames through Bishops Park alone will make your visit to Fulham’s home ground one to remember.

With a capacity of 81,365, Signal Iduna Park is Germany’s largest stadium. The highlight of Borussia Dortmund’s home ground is the ‘Yellow Wall’, a large single-tier stand without seats. The stand is full of BVB’s most faithful and thunderous fans. Their support can be heard from miles away. Watching a game at Signal Iduna Park will always be magical, even if you have gone a thousand times.

In 2013, Lumen Field broke the Guinness World Record for being the loudest stadium in the world. Since then, the stadium has been upped by the NFL team Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium. The record was, needless to say, set during an NFL game of the Seattle Seahawks, but the noisy football fans of the MLS team Seattle Sounders also know how to lift this ground. The stadium itself is pleasing to the eye due to its open U-shape that offers a spectacular view of the skyline of the industrial city.

The legendary San Siro will cease to exist in a couple of years, which gives even more reason to pack your bags and visit the stadium of Inter and AC Milan. Some of the biggest names in world football like Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Kaka, graced this pitch. The stadium is not just an icon for football, but also for its architecture. It is a concrete giant, but one with a soul. Step one foot inside and you will immediately understand San Siro’s charm.

‘There is just something very special about the Azteca,’ said football legend Pelé. ‘You need to be inside it, to feel it to understand. It is unique.’ The Azteca Stadium is with a capacity of 87,523 the largest football stadium in Latin America. This is the place where both Pelé and Maradona won a World Cup. Maradona also scored his two most famous goals here: the magnificent dribble from his half against England that was deemed the ‘Goal Of The Century’ and the goal he scored with the hand of god. Today, the stadium is the home of the Mexican national team and Mexican football clubs Cruz Azul and Club América.

It has only been in our lives since 2019, but right after the opening of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the ground already made people’s lists of the most beautiful stadiums in the world. It is not that spectacular from the outside, but the inside is more than fantastic with the South Stand as the main eye-catcher. It is the steepest stand in England and the roof above features a large golden statue of Spurs’ cockerel, which can also be reached by the public through a skywalk. Besides, the stadium has its very own brewery, the longest bar in Europe and a variety of food stalls where even the pickiest eater can find comfort. This a perfect example for any football club that wants to build a new and modern stadium.

Is there a more beautiful nickname for a football stadium than La Bombonera? Estadio Alberto J. Armando is the home ground of the Argentinian club Boca Juniors, the club that Maradona, understandably, fell in love with. The passionate Boca fans are fiery and fierce. Watching a match in this stadium is a dream of many football fans. It is one of the most recognisable stadiums in the world given its rectangular stand on one side of the ground. It is the highlight of any football trip to Buenos Aires.