THE 1923 FA Cup Final still holds the record for the highest attendance at a sporting event in England, with an official crowd of 126,047 watching Bolton beat West Ham 2-0.
Of course, this match predates the era of the seated stadiums when spectators stood – and crammed together like sardines. Nearly 200,000 people watched the famous 1950 World Cup Final in the Maracana Stadium, Uruguay shocking Brazil in a 2-1 win.
Safety dictates that all modern stadiums are seated – but this doesn’t stop some stadiums having huge capacities nonetheless.
We’ve rounded up the largest stadiums in the world. See if you can visit them all one day – and invest in a pair of binoculars.
NARENDRA MODI STADIUM, GUJARAT, INDIA – CAPACITY 132,000
The Modi stadium is home to the Gujarat cricket team and has hosted international cricket matches for India. It is currently being used by the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League.
RUNGRADO MAYDAY STADIUM, PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA – CAPACITY 114,000
North Korea’s main football ground, Rungrado Mayday Stadium has hosted a range of other events including athletics and a summit with South Korea in 2018. While the official capacity is 114,000, a reported 190,000 piled in for the Collision in Korea wrestling event in 1995.
MICHIGAN STADIUM, MICHIGAN, USA – CAPACITY 107,601
Michigan Stadium is the largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and belongs to the University of Michigan American football team. Michigan Stadium has also hosted International Champions Cup football and boasts the three highest attendances for association football in the USA.
BEAVER STADIUM, PENNSYLVANIA, USA – CAPACITY 106,572
Another College football venue, Beaver Stadium has been the home of the Pennsylvania State University American football side since 1960. It was expanded to its current capacity in 2011.
OHIO STADIUM, OHIO, USA – CAPACITY 102,780
Whilst this is mainly an American football stadium for Ohio State University, Ohio Stadium has also been used by MLS side Colombus Crew and put on concerts for the likes of Pink Floyd and Elton John.