The best football stadiums of the 21st century

Spurs is the latest in the list of big clubs to upgrade its ground in the 21st century. We take a look at 10 other grand footballing venues which were opened from 2000 onwards.

Published : Apr 03, 2019 16:25 IST

Few stadiums are as eye-catching from the outside as Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. The venue has a luminous exterior which can display multiple different colours, typically glowing red for Bayern matches and white for Germany fixtures. Other jazzier options have also been used. It hosted World Cup matches one year on from its 2005 opening and also took in the 2012 Champions League final, which Bayern lost.

Lima's Estadio Monumental was one of the first stadiums to be built in this century and it was a mightily impressive feat. The ground, home of Universitario, does not look especially special from the outside as only the upper tier of the stands are visible. That is because the pitch lies several metres below ground level, allowing for 80,000 supporters to pack the bowl, making it South America's biggest football stadium.

Tottenham has gone one better than rival Arsenal by building a 61,000 stadium to top their neighbour's 60,000 effort. But Emirates Stadium's sleek design was groundbreaking at the time in the Premier League, opening in 2006 as the second largest venue in the league behind Old Trafford. Unfortunately, the move was blamed for a long time on Arsenal's failure to compete financially and consequently deliver silverware. Spurs will hope for more luck.

Fisht Stadium was built for the 2014 Winter Olympics and its design reflects that, boasting a huge roof that takes on the appearance of a snowy peak. Since hosting the opening and closing ceremonies of that event, the near 50,000-seater stadium was in use for the 2018 World Cup and then became the home of PFC Sochi when it was founded last year.

One of the biggest clubs in French football, Lyon took the decision to leave its Stade de Gerland home behind and upgrade to a new 60,000 Parc Olympique Lyonnais arena which opened in 2016. The stadium - decked out in Lyon colours - has since established itself as one of the top venues on the European circuit, hosting Euro 2016 matches and then last season's Europa League final.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

This multi-purpose stadium is also used by the Atlanta Falcons, but Atlanta United has made it its home since 2017 - and quickly delivered success. The $1.5billion development has a spectacular closing roof and great views from everywhere inside the unique dome, which fans can circle in a concourse that stretches around the stadium. Atlanta delivered MLS Cup success at home last year amid a raucous atmosphere.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Another huge club in a football-mad country looking for a bigger home, Monterrey moved into the BBVA Bancomer Stadium in 2015. The huge stylish silver oval opened in fine fashion with Monterrey's 3-0 win over Benfica in the Eusebio Cup - but the Rayados have not been able to consistently claim honours on the pitch since then. The Apertura 2017 Copa MX is Monterrey's only major title since the big move, although they have built a strong side in 2019.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The Sapporo Dome is another stadium to have found regular use at major international tournaments, working as a Japanese venue at the 2002 World Cup, the 2017 Asian Winter Games, the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Olympics. Away from the international stage, the Dome makes use of its retractable surface, allowing baseball to be played on an artificial pitch while Consadole Sapporo play on grass.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Much like Tottenham's new stadium, the Wanda Metropolitano was built on the site of another venue. The Metropolitano housed just 20,000 fans when it closed in 2004, but Atletico Madrid took ownership, rejuvenated the arena and reopened it in 2017 with a capacity of almost 70,000. Atleti left their Vicente Calderon roots behind but were hoping to reach the Champions League final in their new home this season, only to bow out to Juventus.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Tottenham may have been keen to move on and get into their new stadium, but temporary home Wembley remains one of world football's most iconic venues. In place of the towers that were knocked down with the old stadium early in the 21st century stands a huge arch which, much like Bayern's stadium, displays various different colour schemes. The Football Association's bid to sell the stadium fell through last year and it will take centre stage at next year's European Championships.

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Few stadiums are as eye-catching from the outside as Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. The venue has a luminous exterior which can display multiple different colours, typically glowing red for Bayern matches and white for Germany fixtures. Other jazzier options have also been used. It hosted World Cup matches one year on from its 2005 opening and also took in the 2012 Champions League final, which Bayern lost.
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