Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
There are a variety of reasons why a football ground makes a name for itself. It could be that the team who plays there has won some of the most important competitions in the game. Just being there allows you to revel in the history of the place. Others live off the atmosphere created by the fans.
Whether you are looking to be part of a swaying mass of fans or watch a team that punters across the world use their best sportsbook bonuses on, most people will have some kind of football ground bucket list. These are the stadiums that you just have to see before you die.
Most of the grounds on our list are for top-tier teams in their respective countries. But we could have quite as easily compiled a list of lower and even non-league grounds that you should make a pilgrimage to too. But for now, here are seven grounds to consider for your next football away trip.
There are a number of classic old stadiums in Italy that might deserve a place on our list. But we are including the San Siro – or the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza – because you might not have the chance to visit this iconic structure for very long. Milan and Inter are both slated to find new homes in the next few years.
Opened in 1926, the San Siro has witnessed some of the finest Italian footballers playing week in and out for almost a century now. It may be considered a little old-fashioned but the concrete design of the place will have you in awe of its history. Just make sure you plan that trip to Milan soon.
If you want to experience a place rooted in international football history then you cannot get much better than the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Both Pelé and Maradona have won World Cups here and fans of all ages will be able to picture some of the goals that brought glory to those icons of the game.
With a capacity of 87,523, it is the largest stadium in Latin America and plays host to Mexico's international games as well as Liga MX clubs, Cruz Azul and Club América. It is now gearing up to be used for the 2026 World Cup – its third time as a host venue – but has also enjoyed NFL games over the years.
Some stadiums are known for their state-of-the-art facilities. But La Bombonera – or the Estadio Alberto J, Armando, to give it its official title – has attracted global football fans for decades thanks to its unique design and incredible atmosphere. There simply isn't another ground like this one.
The narrow flat stand on one side of the ground is what gives La Bombonera its name (the chocolate box in Spanish) and also its unique design. Painted in the blue and yellow colors of Boca Juniors, the whole place jumps and bounces when the fans get going – and that is just about every single game.
We were tempted to include The Rock, home of Welsh side Cefn Druids here but the club is currently inactive. Fortunately, there is another ground with incredible rock formations making up part of its structure in northern Portugal. Home of the local top-tier team, the Estadio Municipal de Braga was literally carved into the face of a quarry.
The result is a dramatic stadium that consists of two huge stands down either side of the pitch, an open end that provides stunning views of Braga, and one end that is the sheer wall of the quarry. It was opened for the 2004 European Championship and is a very popular destination for groundhoppers.
When it comes to dream football grounds to visit, Africa commonly gets overlooked for some reason. But some of the wildest and most intense atmospheres can be found there – and that is certainly true of the Cairo International Stadium, home of local giants Al Ahly and Zamalek.
Designed by the same architect who dreamt up the Olimpiastadion in Berlin, it looks very similar but just without the roof. Around 75,000 fans cram into the stadium to create the most incredible noise for the two Cairo teams and international matches for Mo Salah and the rest of the Pharaohs.
This stadium in Hamburg, Germany is less than half the size of the Cairo International Stadium and tends to host second-tier football more often than not. But for sheer atmosphere, St. Pauli's Millerntor-Stadion is tough to beat. Maybe there is something about left-wing supporter groups and noise.
This ground is located near the red-light district of Hamburg and there are plenty of stories about less-than-traditional fans cheering on the St. Pauli team from the terraces. Social activism is so strong here that plans for a newer, more modern stadium have been blocked a number of times by fans concerned about commercialization and the resulting rent hikes.
You probably couldn't get much different from the Millerntor-Stadion as Tottenham Hotspur's gleaming new stadium in North London. But we have included it here, as it is a rare example of something new and commercially driven actually improving the experience for everyone and being universally liked.
Built in 2019, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (the naming rights have strangely not been sold yet, considering the money involved in football today) has the steepest stand in England and is a design masterpiece. There are elements of the modern matchday experience though, with the longest bar in England, numerous food stalls, and an in-house brewery.
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My daughter's first ever football match - Orlando City v Atlanta United, August 2019. Written for Izzy to read when she gets old enough. Vamos Orlando
