The latest football ground news from around the world. New stadiums, ground renovations and records - it's all here. Heard some news that you think should be featured? Drop us a line through the contact page. Want to keep up-to-date with the latest stadium news by email? Sign up to the site and join the monthly stadium newsletter.
Wednesday 12th May 2021
Egyptian giants Al Ahly are to build a new 60,000 seater stadium on the outskirts of Cairo.
The move comes just a year after the club moved into its temporary 30,000 seater home at Al Ahly Stadium.
The new 60,000 seater stadium will become the 3rd largest ground in Egypt after the 86,000 capacity Borg Al-Arab and the 74,000 capacity Cairo International Stadium.
Wednesday 12th May 2021
The city of New York is to get its first soccer specific stadium - but it is being built by Queensboro FC, not New York City FC.
Queensboro will join the USL Championship in 2022 as a new expansion side and have announced plans to build a new stadium. The new ground will be built in partnership with the City University of New York and will open with an initial capacity of 7,500.
MLS side New York City FC are still without a permanent home, playing their games at Yankee Stadium and Red Bull Arena, home of rivals New York Red Bulls.
This is a place we all can call #OurHome @CUNY @YorkCollegeCUNY #ForeverQueens pic.twitter.com/jughcwcoHJ
— Queensboro FC (@QueensboroFC) April 27, 2021
Wednesday 12th May 2021
Bologna have submitted plans to transform their Stadio Dall'Ara into a modern 30,000 seater arena.
The Italian Serie A club have committed €100m to the project which will see large parts of the existing stadium modernised with stands moved closer to the pitch and every seat covered by a new roof.
As well as redeveloping their current ground, Bologna will spend up to €15m on a new temporary stadium to be used whilst the renovations are underway. This new 15,000 capacity venue will then reduce to 3,000 and be used by the club's women's and youth teams.
Saturday 24th April 2021
New MLS expansion outfit Charlotte FC are to spend $50m to prepare the Bank of America stadium for its MLS debut.
Charlotte will join the MLS for the 2022 season and will play at Carolina Panthers' NFL stadium. The stadium will become one of the biggest in MLS, capable of holding more than 75,000 fans. However, the club anticipates that it will only open the lower tier for most games, capping capacity at around 40,000.
Changes made for the MLS will include expanded entrances, new soccer locker rooms and a central players' tunnel. The improvements also include a 210-foot wide LED screen, as well as upgraded concourses, more food and drink kiosks and a limited capacity new tunnel bar.
Charlotte FC will join the MLS Eastern Conference next season.
Wednesday 21st April 2021
Osasuna have completed expansion work on the Estadio El Sadar.
The Spanish La Liga side are based on the northern city of Pamplona have added an extra 6,500 seats, taking the stadium's total capacity to around 25,000. This includes 1,300 rail seats which are suitable for safe standing.
Other areas of the ground have also been renovated including a new roof, new exterior cladding and improved hospitality areas. The club have also built a new museum and club shop.
The project was originally due to be completed last year but was delayed due to global pandemic. The original cost of €16m has also grown, with the club hoping to pay the debt back within the next 3 years.
La felicidad no sera completa hasta que las gradas esten abarrotadas. Pero nos emociona volver a ver a nuestros socios en su casa, en El Sadar. pic.twitter.com/CkZ3BTA50C
— C. A. OSASUNA (@CAOsasuna) April 8, 2021
Tuesday 20th April 2021
Czech side Hradec Kralove are to build a new 8,000 seater stadium. The new ground will be built on the site of their old stadium, with demolition work due to start shortly.
The club were promoted to the Czech First League last season after finishing top of the second tier and are hoping that the new stadium will provide them with financial security in the future.
The new €22m stadium will be able to host music concerts and will also include a 100m indoor running track, gyms and an outdoor running track which encircles the entire ground.
Hradec Kralove is located around 70 miles away from the capital Prague.
Friday 16th April 2021
The city of Las Vegas will host the final of this year's Gold Cup. The new $1.9bn stadium is the home of NFL franchise Las Vegas Raiders but hasn't yet hosted any fans due to the global pandemic.
The impressive stadium will be used to host the final of this Gold Cup - a competition featuring national teams from Central and North America including Mexico, USA, Canada and this year's guest nation, Qatar.
The tournament kicks off in July and will be hosted at 10 stadiums in the US ranging from soccer specific grounds such as Kansas City's Children's Mercy Park and Orlando's Orlando City Stadium to some of America's largest including the 92,000 capacity Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Thursday 15th April 2021
Dinoma Zagreb have unveiled plans for a new €60m stadium.
The new stadium will be built in the same neighbourhood as the club's existing Stadion Maksimir.
The new state-of-the-art stadium will feature 3 fully covered tiers as well as extensive hospitality areas, a new club shop and a museum. It will be built to UEFA's highest Category 4 standard, meaning it will be able to host major European finals.
The new ground's capacity will be around 34,000 and is expected to take around 3 years to build.
Friday 9th April 2021
Parma have announced plans to transform their Stadio Ennio Tardini into a much more modern stadium.
The Italian club were relegated from Serie A at the end of last season, but will look to press on with their stadium redevelopment plans.
Parma's current stadium was built in 1923 and has a capacity of just under 28,000. The new futuristic stadium is being dubbed "a stadium for Parma, inspired by Parma" and will be used by the local community throughout the week.
The club haven't yet confirmed details on the new capacity, cost or timeline. They are expected to apply for planning permission shortly.
Saturday 3rd April 2021
A new football stadium is to be built in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The new 30,000 seater stadium will be home to the city's J1 League side, Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
The new modern stadium will feature a large single tier stand for home supporters as well as a restaurant which overlooks the cityscape.
The stadium will cost in the region of £180m and is due to be completed in time for the start of the 2024 J-League season. There are also a number of other images and videos on the new stadium website. It's a good place to practice your Japanese too.
Saturday 27th March 2021
Wuhan FC have announced plans to move to a new 60,000 seater stadium.
The Chinese Super League club currently play at the 30,000 capacity Dongxihu Sports Center, but have become the latest in a long line of new Chinese superstadiums, as it prepares to host the next Asian Cup.
The new stadium will be build on land to the north of the city, next to the famous Yangtze River. It is hoped to open in 2023 at a cost of around £300m.
Zall Group's animation for the stadium to be built on the plot they bid this week in the north of Wuhan. A football-only stadium with ≥60,000 seats. It will be the home stadium of Wuhan FC(formerly Wuhan Zall). The Wuhan counterpart of Evergrande's 'big lotus' in Guangzhou. pic.twitter.com/HSz7bI9x4o
— Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) March 24, 2021
Friday 19th March 2021
Manchester City are to reduce the capacity of the Etihad Stadium to make room for more advertising space around the pitch.
The Premier League leaders plan to remove the first 3 rows of the North, East and South stands to install double height digital advertising boards. This will reduce the capacity of the stadium by 1,100.
Season ticket holders in the affected areas have already been notified and will be allowed to move to any other area of the stadium without a price increase for next season.
The Etihad's total capacity will drop to around 54,000. City's average attendance before the pandemic was above this figure - a sad indication that the club is valuing advertising revenue over its own fans.