List of national stadiums
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadium. Usually, a national stadium will be in or very near a country's capital city or largest city. It is generally (but not always) the country's largest and most lavish sports venue with a rich history of hosting a major moment in sports (i.e. FIFA World Cup, Olympics, etc.). In many, but not all cases, it is also used by a local team. Many countries, including Spain and the United States, do not have a national stadium designated as such; instead matches are rotated throughout the country. The lack of a national stadium can be seen as advantageous as designating a single stadium would limit the fan base capable of realistically attending matches as well as the concern of the cost of transportation, especially in the case of the United States due to its geographical size and high population.
A list of national stadiums follows:
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
- Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti (football)
- Estadio Multipropósito Parque Roca (basketball and tennis)
- Estadio Nacional de Hockey (field hockey)
- Campo Argentino de Polo (polo)
- CeNARD (athletics)
- Estadio José Amalfitani, also known as Vélez Sársfield (rugby union)—Although the national team plays Tests at several venues around the country, most of their home Tests against teams in the Six Nations and Tri Nations are held here.
Armenia
Australia
Australia does not have an official national stadium, yet its two biggest stadiums alternate hosting large events are the following:
- Melbourne Cricket Ground (Cricket and Australian rules football) - currently the largest sporting venue in Australia and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere with a capacity of 100,024.
- Stadium Australia, currently known under a sponsorship deal as 'ANZ Stadium', the 2000 Sydney Olympic Stadium (Rugby League, Rugby Union, football (soccer) and Australian rules football) with a capacity of 84,000. There exists a popular rivalry between ANZ Stadium and the MCG due to lasting rivalries between football codes and the respective cities. There was an implied claim to being the new national stadium when it opened in 1999 with the name 'Stadium Australia'. Cricket is no longer played at the venue, while Australian rules will not be played there beyond 2016.
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
- Barbados National Stadium (outdoor track and field)
Belarus
Belgium
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brazil does not have an official national stadium. Large sports events (mostly football) are commonly held in alternate venues. However, during reconstruction for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and as the capital city's and country's greatest stadium, the name Estádio Nacional (Portuguese for National Stadium) was added to the old Mané Garrincha stadium, leaving its official name as Estádio Nacional de Brasília Mané Garrincha, even though it isn't act as a solo national stadium.
The second largest and most well known stadium in Brazil is Estádio do Maracanã located at Rio de Janeiro. The Brazil national football team have most of their high-profile matches taken place in the Maracanã and the venue has hosted multiple World Cup and Copa America matches in its history including the two World Cup finals that Brazil has hosted (1950 and 2014).
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
- Air Canada Centre (basketball)
- BMO Field (Canada men's national soccer team)
- Maple Leaf Cricket Club (cricket)
- Rogers Centre (baseball)
- Shamrock Field (Gaelic games)
- Canada does not have a national stadium/arena for ice hockey. The national team plays at several venues throughout the country.
Prior to confederation into Canada, the Dominion of Newfoundland used King George V Park as its national stadium.
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
People's Republic of China
Chinese football (soccer) national team does not have a national stadium. The team plays games in Beijing Labour's Stadium, Shanghai Hongkou Stadium, Nanjing Olympic Sports Center.
Colombia
Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
No national stadium
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
- Windsor Park (cricket and football)
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
- Stade de France (football, rugby union, and athletics)
- In the case of rugby, the national team plays Test matches throughout the country, but it uses Stade de France exclusively for its fixtures in the Six Nations Championship.
Gabon
The Gambia
Georgia
Germany
- The German national football team usually plays at different stadiums throughout the country. However, the venue for the German Cup Final is the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. As a multipurpose stadium, the Olympic stadium also hosts international athletic competitions and is planned to be the venue for the final of the 2018 American Football European Championship among other events.
Ghana
Greece
- Olympic Stadium (athletics and football)
Greenland
- Nuuk Stadium (football)
- New National Stadium (proposed)
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
- Puskás Ferenc Stadium (it is in need of renovation - until this time the Groupama Arena is hosting most international matches.)
Iceland
India
- National Stadium, Delhi (Field Hockey)
- Salt Lake Stadium (football)
- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (football)
The country does not have a home stadium for cricket.The national team plays at different venues.The most notable stadiums are Eden Gardens, Wankhede Stadium and Chinnaswam Stadium.
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
- Teddy Stadium (football)
- Sammy Ofer Stadium (football)
- Nokia Arena (basketball)
- Canada Stadium (Tennis)
Italy
- The Italian national football team usually plays at different stadiums throughout the country.
- Stadio Olimpico (Olympics and rugby union)
- In the case of rugby union, the national team plays matches throughout the country, but since 2012 has used Stadio Olimpico for all of its home Six Nations matches. Previously, Stadio Flaminio served the same purpose.
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
- Tokyo Dome (baseball)
- Koshien Stadium (baseball)
- National Olympic Stadium (football and athletics)
- International Stadium Yokohama (football)
- Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (rugby union)—The Japan national team plays matches at several venues around the country, but Chichibunomiya is the most commonly used, and the country's national federation is headquartered here.
- Kokugikan (Sumo)
Kenya
- Nyayo National Stadium
- Kasarani National Stadium
Kiribati
Republic of Korea
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Kurdistan
Kyrgyzstan
- Spartak Stadium (football and athletics)
Lesotho
- Setsoto Stadium (football and athletics)
Lebanon
Luxembourg
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malta
Martinique
- Stade d'Honneur (football and athletics)
Mexico
- Estadio Azteca (football)
- Estadio Olimpico Universitario (athletics)
- Revolution Ice Rink (ice hockey)
- Mexico does not have a national arena/stadium for baseball or basketball. Mexico's national baseball and basketball teams play at various venues throughout the country.
Moldova
Monaco
- Stade Louis II (football and athletics)
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
- Olympisch Stadion (athletics)
- The national football team has no dedicated stadium. It plays at venues around the country. However the most commonly used stadium is the Amsterdam ArenA in Amsterdam, home to Eredivisie club Ajax.
Nicaragua
Nigeria
- Abuja Stadium (football and other sports)
- Lagos National Stadium (football and other sports)
Norway
Pakistan
Palau
- Palau National Stadium (PCC Palau Track & Field Stadium), (football and other sports)
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
- Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (Manila)
- Rizal Memorial Stadium (athletics, football)
- Rizal Memorial Coliseum (basketball and other indoor sports)
- Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium (baseball)
Poland
- Stadion Śląski (Silesian Stadium) in Chorzów (football) - this stadium was previously designated by Polish Football Association as Poland national football team's official national stadium. It is currently being renovated.
- Stadion Narodowy (football) - home stadium of Poland national football team.
- National Rugby Stadium, rugby union national stadium
Portugal
- Estádio do Jamor (football and athletics). However, the national football team very seldom plays there.
- Estádio Universitário de Lisboa (rugby union)
Ireland
Team sports in Ireland are often governed by bodies representing both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, on an All-Ireland basis.
- National Stadium (boxing) (All-Ireland)
- Aviva Stadium (association football (Republic of Ireland), Rugby Union (All-Ireland))
- Morton Stadium (athletics) (All-Ireland)
- Croke Park (Gaelic Athletic Association and International rules football) (both All-Ireland)
Romania
- Arena Națională (football)
- Stadionul Național de Rugby (rugby union) — The national team plays occasional matches at other venues around the country, but the vast majority of matches are held here.
Russia
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Serbia
Singapore
Somalia
Spain
- The Spanish national football team usually plays at different stadiums throughout the country. However, it uses three stadiums frequently for exhibition and tournament qualification matches: Camp Nou (home ground of FC Barcelona) is the biggest stadium in Spain and in Europe, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (Real Madrid) has hosted important games like the 1982 FIFA World Cup Final, as well as it is located in its capital, and finally, Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla, in Seville.
Sierra Leone
South Africa
The national football, rugby union and cricket teams all play at various venues throughout South Africa. However, these are the de facto national stadiums:
- Soccer City (football)
- Newlands (rugby union)
- The Wanderers (cricket)
- Randburg Astroturf (field hockey)
Suriname
Sweden
- Friends Arena (men's football)
- Gamla Ullevi (women's football)
- Tele2 Arena (American football, speedway)
- Stockholms Stadion (athletics)
- Ericsson Globe (ice hockey)
- Lugnet (nordic skiing)
- Åre Ski Area (alpine skiing)
- Stadium Arena (basketball)
- Nya Örvallen (baseball)
- Eriksdalsbadet (swimming)
Switzerland
- Stade de Suisse (Football)
Syria
Taiwan
- Kaohsiung National Stadium (a.k.a. World Games Stadium) (football and athletics)
Tajikistan
- Pamir Stadium (football and athletics)
Tanzania
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Turkmenistan
- Olympic Stadium (football and athletics)
Tunisia
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Team sports in the United Kingdom are often governed by bodies representing the Home Nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – with some sports organised on an All-Ireland basis. In international sporting events these sports are contested not by a team representing the United Kingdom, but by teams representing the separate home nations, and as a result there are separate national stadiums for many sports.
England
- Lord's Cricket Ground (cricket)
- Twickenham (rugby union)
- Wembley Stadium (football, rugby league)
- Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre (hockey) formerly National Hockey Stadium but no longer exists
- National Badminton Centre (badminton)
Northern Ireland
- Windsor Park (football)
- Mary Peters Track (athletics)
Scotland
Wales
- Millennium Stadium (rugby union and football)
- SWALEC Stadium (cricket)
- Cardiff City Stadium (football)
United States
- Like Spain, Brazil, Germany or Italy, the US national soccer team has no dedicated stadium or arena. They play at different venues throughout the country for exhibition or tournament purposes. However, 21 games have been held on RFK Stadium in the country's capital, Washington, D.C., more than any other venue in the country, which led to suggestions that RFK Memorial is the de facto national stadium.[2][3] The women's soccer team also has no dedicated venue.
- USA Hockey has designated home arenas for some of its teams. The national under-17 and under-18 boys' teams play home games at Ann Arbor Ice Cube in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The national sled hockey team trains at Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex in Brighton, New York and plays most of its home games at HarborCenter in Buffalo, New York, the last of which has also hosted numerous other USA Hockey events.
- Most of the most popular sports in the United States do not rely on a single national stadium, instead rotating the highest profile contests among various neutral sites.
- Augusta National Golf Club (golf)—Augusta, home of The Masters, is the only one of the three U.S.-based major golf tournaments to be held at a constant venue year after year; the U.S. Open and PGA Championship are both held at rotating venues.
- Auto racing, although its leading competitions are both touring circuits, feature flagship races at de facto national speedways: Indianapolis Motor Speedway for open-wheel racing, Circuit of the Americas for Formula One, and Daytona International Speedway for stock car racing.
Uruguay
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zimbabwe
References
- ↑ http://el.soccerway.com/venues/colombia/estadio-metropolitano-roberto-melendez/v3308/
- ↑ RFK as our National Soccer Stadium: News. Match Fit USA (2009-10-20). Retrieved on 2011-12-24.
- ↑ Bill Simmons "Every big American soccer game should be played in RFK." News: ESPN. Sports.espn.go.com (2009-10-16). Retrieved on 2011-12-24.