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List of national stadiums facts for kids

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Panorámica esquina noreste
The Estadio Azteca in Mexico.
Morodok Techo National Stadium
The Morodok Techo National Stadium in Cambodia.
Parken 05
Parken in Denmark.
Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde panorama
The Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde in Cape Verde.

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 (e.g. 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:

Contents

Afghanistan

  • Ghazi Amanullah International Cricket Stadium (cricket)
  • National Stadium (football)

Albania

  • Arena Kombëtare

Algeria

American Samoa

Andorra

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

  • 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

Aruba

Australia

Australia does not have an official national stadium. The country's two largest stadiums, which host major domestic and international events, are:

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Benin

Bermuda

Bhutan

Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Bilino Polje Stadium
  • Koševo Olympic Stadium

Botswana

Brazil

  • Brazil does not have an official national stadium. Mostly (football) matches 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 doesn't act as a solo national stadium. The 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 in the Maracanã and the venue has hosted multiple World Cup and Copa America matches throughout its history including the two World Cup finals that Brazil has hosted (1950 and 2014).

Brunei Darussalam

  • Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium (football)

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

  • Aviva Centre & Stade IGA (tennis)
  • BC Place (soccer and rugby union). Although a 2007 report from FIFA referred to BMO Field as Canada's national stadium, due to BC Place's indoor field being playable year-round and its higher capacity, many major soccer events are held there instead, such as the final match of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Similarly, while the national rugby team has no official stadium, most of their matches are split between BC Place and BMO Field
  • BMO Field (soccer and rugby union)
  • Lamport Stadium (rugby league)
  • Maple Leaf Cricket Club (cricket)
  • Rogers Centre (baseball)
  • Scotiabank Arena (basketball)
  • Canada does not have a national stadium/arena for ice hockey. The national team plays at several venues throughout the country. Likewise, Canadian football and lacrosse, two prominent sports unique to Canadian culture, play at multiple venues across the nation.

Prior to confederation into Canada, the Dominion of Newfoundland used King George V Park as its national stadium.

Cape Verde

  • Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde (football)

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

The China national football team does not have a national stadium. Mostly matches except major competitions are commonly held in alternate venues across the country. They are rarely played in Beijing due to concerns of security.

Colombia

  • Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez (football)

Comoros

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

  • Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat (football)

Cook Islands

Costa Rica

Croatia

There is no official national stadium. The following two stadiums are the largest and most commonly host international events:

  • Stadion Maksimir
  • Stadion Poljud

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

East Timor

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Estonia

Eswatini

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

Gambia

Georgia

Germany

  • The Germany national football team usually plays at different stadiums throughout the country. However, the venue for the German Cup final is the Olympiastadion in Berlin. As a multipurpose stadium, the Berlin Olympiastadion also hosts international athletic competitions and other events. However, the Munich Olympiastadion was used for the finals of international football competitions held during the later West German era, such in the 1974 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1988.
  • Lanxess Arena (handball and ice hockey)
  • Mercedes-Benz Arena (basketball)
  • Gerry Weber Stadion (tennis)
  • Warsteiner HockeyPark (field hockey)
  • Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark (rugby union)

Ghana

Greece

Greenland

  • Nuuk Stadium (football)
  • New National Stadium (proposed)

Grenada

Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Hong Kong

Hungary

  • Puskás Aréna (football)

Iceland

India

Indonesia

  • Gelora Bung Karno Stadium
  • Gelora Bung Karno Madya Stadium
  • Istora Gelora Bung Karno
  • Indonesia Arena

Iran

  • Azadi Stadium

Iraq

  • Al-Shaab Stadium
  • Basra Sports City

Republic of Ireland

Team sports in Ireland are often governed by bodies representing both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, on an All-Ireland basis. See the Northern Ireland section for other cases.

Stadium Owner Sports Notes
Aviva Stadium Irish Rugby Football Union
football Association of Ireland		 rugby union and association football The IRFU is all-island while the FAI is restricted to the Republic. The IRFU owns the land but the stadium built on it is jointly owned by both bodies.
Croke Park Gaelic Athletic Association Gaelic games and international rules football The GAA is all-island
Morton Stadium National Sports Campus Development Authority athletics Athletics Ireland is all-island, although Athletics Northern Ireland is linked to both Athletics Ireland and UK Athletics.
National Stadium Irish Amateur Boxing Association boxing The IABA is all-island
National Basketball Arena Basketball Ireland basketball Basketball Ireland is all-island
National Indoor Arena National Sports Campus Development Authority various indoor sports Construction began at the National Sports Campus in 2015.
National Aquatic Centre aquatics Swim Ireland uses but does not own the venue, which is part of the National Sports Campus.
National Horse Arena equestrianism Horse Sport Ireland uses but does not own the venue, which is part of the National Sports Campus.

The following venues are "designated national sporting arenas" for the purposes of Section 21 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (which regulates sale of alcohol at sports venues): National Stadium, Croke Park, Semple Stadium, Royal Dublin Society, Aviva Stadium, Thomond Park.

Israel

Italy

  • The Italy 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.
  • PalaLottomatica, Mediolanum Forum and Pala Alpitour serve to (basketball and volleyball) matches.
  • Stadio Steno Borghese (baseball)
  • PalaLido (roller hockey, handball, gymnastics, and wrestling)
  • Pala Alpitour (ice hockey)
  • Velodromo Vigorelli (American football)
  • Massimo Falsetti Cricket Field (cricket)

Ivory Coast

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kiribati

Republic of Korea

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Kosovo

  • Fadil Vokrri Stadium (football)
  • Palace of Youth and Sports (basket)

Kuwait

  • Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium (football)

Kyrgyzstan

Latvia

Lesotho

Lebanon

  • Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium

Liberia

Libya

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

  • Žalgiris Arena (basketball)
  • Darius and Girėnas Stadium (football) – since 2022
  • LFF Stadium (football) – owned and operated by the Lithuanian Football Federation.
  • Utena Hippodrome (baseball)

Luxembourg

Macau

Malawi

Malaysia

Maldives

Mali

Malta

Martinique

Mauritania

  • Complexe Olympique de la République Islamique de Mauritanie (football)

Mauritius

Mexico

Moldova

Monaco

Montenegro

Morocco

Myanmar

Namibia

Nepal

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
  • Wagener Stadium (field hockey)
  • VRA Cricket Ground (cricket)
  • Thialf (speed skating)
  • Nationaal Rugby Centrum Amsterdam (rugby union)

Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria

  • Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (football and other sports)
  • Moshood Abiola National Stadium (football and other sports)
  • Lagos National Stadium (football and other sports)

Norway

North Macedonia

Oman

Pakistan

  • National Stadium, Karachi (Cricket)
  • Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (Cricket)
  • Punjab Stadium, Lahore (Football)
  • National Hockey Stadium, Lahore (Field hockey)

Palau

  • Palau National Stadium (PCC Palau Track & Field Stadium), (football and other sports)

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

  • Estadio Defensores del Chaco (football)

Peru

Philippines

  • Rizal Memorial Sports Complex
  • New Clark City Athletics Stadium (athletics)

Poland

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Qatar

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

Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

San Marino

Serbia

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

There is no official national stadium or arena. International events are usually hosted in the largest stadium or arena in the country.

Somalia

Spain

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:

Suriname

Sweden

Switzerland

Because Switzerland has a strong federalism opinion in most sports are no national stadiums.

  • The Switzerland Davis Cup team (Tennis) plays most of there ties in Palexpo in Geneva.

Syria

Taiwan

Tajikistan

Tanzania

Thailand

Togo

Trinidad and Tobago

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Tunisia

Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

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

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

United States

  • USA Hockey has designated home arenas for some of its teams. The national under-17 and under-18 boys' teams play home games at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, 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 LECOM 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.
  • Howard J. Lamade Stadium (Little League Baseball)—Lamade Stadium is the primary stadium of the Little League World Series, hosting the final every year. It is one of two stadiums at the Little League headquarters complex in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania that permanently hosts the LLWS, with Volunteer Stadium as the other.
  • Augusta National Golf Club (men's golf)—Augusta is home of The Masters, the only one of the three U.S.-based men's 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.
  • Mission Hills Country Club (women's golf)—Mission Hills hosts the ANA Inspiration, only one of the three U.S.-based women's major golf tournaments to be held at a constant venue year after year; the U.S. Women's Open and Women's PGA Championship are both held at rotating venues.
  • Arthur Ashe Stadium (tennis)—primary stadium of the lone U.S. tennis major, the US Open. The stadium is the centerpiece of a complex known as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
  • 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.
  • Churchill Downs and Belmont Park (horse racing)—each track hosts a leg in the Triple Crown of American Thoroughbred Racing, and both have hosted the most prominent race outside the Triple Crown, the Breeders' Cup Classic, which is part of the Breeders' Cup event held annually at rotating venues. (Pimlico, the site of the other leg of the Triple Crown, has never hosted the Breeders' Cup.)
  • Like Spain, Brazil, Australia, Germany, and 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 were held in 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 was the de facto national stadium prior to its 2019 closure. The women's soccer team also has no dedicated venue.
  • USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium serves as the home of the men's and women's national teams as well as the headquarters of USA Softball.

Uruguay

Uzbekistan

Vatican City

Stadio Petriana (football)—because the Vatican City does not have enough territory to house a sports stadium, Stadio Petriana is in fact situated within the bounds of Italy.

Venezuela

  • Estadio Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo (football)

Vietnam

  • Mỹ Đình National Stadium (football)

Zambia

Zimbabwe

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Estadio nacional para niños

  • Lists of stadiums
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