Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. There are very few corners of the globe into which awareness of the 'beautiful game' has not penetrated.
Even nations that were previously resistant to its charms, such as the United States, are now falling under the spell. It has never been bigger than it is in 2024 and the stadiums that teams play at are like cathedrals for the followers of the football religion.
These stadiums are where fans gather to sing the praises of their teams and the star players. They are a crucial part of making each game come alive, through the atmosphere they supply.
Some stadiums have even become as iconic as the teams that play in them. Like those that will feature in this article.
The rise of football to its current position really started in the 1990s, but the game has always been a big deal in places such as the UK, as well as most of Europe and Africa. The country that failed to grasp its appeal was the US, because it had its own popular sports.
It is referred to as soccer in that country and there has been a professional league – known as Major League Soccer (MLS) since 1993. However, until the past few years it was regarded as the poor relation compared with other US sports leagues like the NFL, MLB and NBA.
Two things have changed that: the arrival of better players and coaches to improve the standard of the league and the widespread legalization of sports betting in the US. This is now legal in many of the states and the option of betting on the games has boosted its appeal.
Whether people in the US can gamble on MLS games depends on if it is legal in their particular state or not. An example of one where it is legal is Virginia and fans there can find the best promos at Virginia sportsbooks very quickly online, so it is easy to see why they are embracing watching and betting on it.
They are also now watching European games live on television, especially the biggest games played at the world's great stadiums. Like these ones.
It would be hard to come up with a more celebrated football stadium than the Bernabeu, in Madrid. This ground is home to Real Madrid, perhaps the most famous soccer team in the world.
It is a stadium that has had cash lavished on it by a club for whom money appears to be no object. One of its most striking features is the retractable roof which can be closed up to allow play in even the worst of conditions.
The hospitality terrace is extraordinary too, but it is the sight and sound of a full Bernabeu in full cry that really sends a shiver down the spine.
This is the most famous stadium in England and it has been nicknamed the 'home of football'. Found in Wembley, London, it is where the England national team plays its home games as well as the venue for the annual FA Cup final.
The Wembley Stadium of 2024 is not the original ground though. It was demolished at the turn of the century and rebuilt from scratch. The new and improved stadium opened in 2007.
It does not have the Twin Towers that were a landmark of the original structure, but the Wembley Arch makes for an impressive replacement for them.
It is not only Europe that is home to top soccer stadiums. La Bombonera is in Buenos Aires and is a remarkable feat of architectural brilliance.
Due to a shortage of space when it came to developing the stadium, the solution proved to be one 'flat' stand covering a side of its pitch with three very steep three-tier stands for the rest. The unusual D-shape of the stadium has led to it being nicknamed the 'chocolate box' but also produces a cauldron of noise for the team that plays there – Boca Juniors.
It could be argued that other English stadiums, including that of Tottenham Hotspur, are more modern, but the 'theatre of dreams' is legendary. Fans of the sport around the world know of its Stretford End and Manchester United remains a global brand, even if a somewhat tarnished one right now.
Old Trafford is huge and boasts some of the finest hospitality facilities in Europe. It holds a total of 76,000 people and the atmosphere that can be generated there during big games ensures it remains one of the greatest places to watch matches.
These stadiums are venues that any football fan will want to visit, whatever team they happen to support.
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
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