Soccer, the world’s most popular sport, packs passionate supporters into stadiums around the globe. And while it’s debatable which continent has the best fans, it’s in Europe—where storied teams such as Manchester United, F.C. Barcelona, and Bayern Munich play—that we see the most architecturally stunning stadiums. And with soccer being a lifeline for many Europeans, all of these structures are sure to be packed to capacity on a weekly basis with devoted fans. From the craggy rocks in the south of France that surround Stade Louis II in Monaco to the colorfully lit Allianz Stadium in the Germany, AD survey’s all fifty countries in Europe to whittle down the top eighteen soccer stadiums in throughout the continent.
Parc des Princes, Paris, France
Team: Paris Saint-Germain Built: 1972 Architect: Roger Taillibert Capacity: 47,929
National Stadium Warsaw, Poland
Team: Polish National Soccer Team Built: 2012 Architects: JSK Architekci, gmp, Architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners, sbp Capacity: 58,145
Luzhniki Stadium Moscow, Russia
Team: Russian National Soccer Team Built: 1956 (most recently renovated in 2017) Architects: PA Arena, Gmp Architekten and Mosproject Capacity: 81,000
Spiros Louis Stadium, Athens, Greece
Team: AEK Athens F.C. Built: 1982 (renovated in 2004) Architect: Santiago Calatrava Capacity: 70,000
Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania
Teams: FC Steaua București and FC Dinamo București Built: 2011 Architect: Gerkan, Marg & Partners Capacity: 55,700
St. James' Park, Newcastle, England
Team: Newcastle United F.C. Built: 1892 (expanded in 2000) Architects: TTH Architects, Gateshead UK Capacity: 52,000
Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
Team: S.L. Benfica Completed: 2003 Architect: Damon Lavelle (Principal at Populous) Capacity: 65,000
Stade Louis II, Monaco, France
Team: AS Monaco FC Built: 1985 Architects: Henri Pottier, Philippe Godin, and Jacques Rechsteiner Capacity: 18,480
Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
Team: F.C. Barcelona Built: 1957 (renovated in 2008) Architects: Francesc Mitjans Miró and Josep Soteras Mauri, and Lorenzo García Barbón Capacity: 99,355
Allianz Stadium, Munich, Germany
Team: Bayern Munich Built: 2005 Architects: Herzog & de Meuron, Arup Capacity: 71,000
Wembley, London, England
Teams: Various Built: 2007 Architects: HOK Sport, Foster + Partners Capacity: 90,000
San Siro, Milan, Italy
Teams: AC Milan, Inter Milan Built: 1926 (renovated in 1990) Architects: Alberto Cugini, Ulisse Stacchini Capacity: 85,000
Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
Team: Borussia Dortmund Built: 1974 (renovated in 2006) Architect: Planungsgruppe Drahtler Capacity: 80,667
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
Team: Real Madrid Built: 1947 (renovated between 2001 and 2006) Architects: Manuel Muñoz Monasterio, Luis Alemany Soler, Antonio Lamela Capacity: 85,450
Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Team: FC Zenit Saint Petersburg Built: 2017 Architect: Kisho Kurokawa Capacity: 68,000
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France
Team: Olympique de Marseille Built: 1937 (renovated in 2014) Architects: Henri Ploquin, SCAU Capacity: 67,400
Anfield, Liverpool, England
Team: Liverpool Built: 1884 (renovated in 1998) Architect: Archibald Leitch Capacity: 45,522
Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Team: Manchester United Built: 1910 (renovated in 2006) Architect: Archibald Leitch Capacity: 75,730
