National stadium
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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 football (soccer) 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 (i.e. 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.
A list of national stadiums follows:
Afghanistan [edit]
Albania [edit]
Algeria [edit]
Andorra [edit]
Angola [edit]
Antigua and Barbuda [edit]
Argentina [edit]
- Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti (football)
- 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 [edit]
Australia [edit]
Australia does not have an official national stadium, yet its two biggest stadiums alternate hosting large events are the following:
- Melbourne Cricket Ground (Australian rules football and cricket) - currently the largest sporting venue in Australia.
- Stadium Australia, currently known under a sponsorship deal as 'ANZ Stadium', the 2000 Sydney Olympic Stadium (Rugby League, Rugby Union, football (soccer) and Australian rules football). There exists a popular rivalry between ANZ Stadium and the MCG due to lasting rivalries between football codes and the respective cities. There was an implied claim to being the new national stadium when it opened in 1999 with the name 'Stadium Australia'. Cricket is also played at the venue with the New South Wales cricket team playing at the venue in the past and the venue being the home ground for new Big Bash League team Sydney Thunder. The Australian national cricket team also play Twenty20 Cricket at the venue.
Austria [edit]
Azerbaijan [edit]
Bahamas [edit]
Bahrain [edit]
Bangladesh [edit]
Barbados [edit]
- Barbados National Stadium (outdoor track and field)
Belarus [edit]
Belgium [edit]
Benin [edit]
Bermuda [edit]
Bhutan [edit]
Bolivia [edit]
Bosnia and Herzegovina [edit]
Botswana [edit]
Brazil [edit]
Brazil does not have an official national stadium. Large sports events are commonly held in alternate venues.
The biggest stadium in Brazil is Estádio do Maracanã.
Brunei Darussalam [edit]
Bulgaria [edit]
Burkina Faso [edit]
Burundi [edit]
Cambodia [edit]
Cameroon [edit]
Canada [edit]
- Air Canada Centre (basketball)
- BMO Field (soccer)
- Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton) (women's soccer; formerly men's)
- Saputo Stadium (men's soccer)
- Maple Leaf Cricket Club (cricket)
- Rogers Centre (baseball)
- Shamrock Field (Gaelic games)
- Canada does not have a national stadium/arena for ice hockey. The national team plays at several venues throughout the country.
- Canada does not have a national curling rink. The Canadian national team is selected by tournament, and is not a standing team.
Note that in Canada, national team matches occupy a relatively minor place in the overall sports landscape, except during international ice hockey tournaments. Media and fan attention focuses mainly on the country's major professional leagues and on major junior ice hockey. Currently-active venues that are frequently used for national championships include:
- BC Place (Canadian football), which has hosted the most Grey Cups (8 as of 2011) and was used for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
- Rexall Place (ice hockey), used for the most Stanley Cup Finals (7 as of 2006).
Prior to confederation into Canada, the Dominion of Newfoundland used King George V Park as its national stadium.
Cape Verde [edit]
Central African Republic [edit]
Chad [edit]
Chile [edit]
People's Republic of China [edit]
Colombia [edit]
Republic of the Congo [edit]
Democratic Republic of the Congo [edit]
Cook Islands [edit]
Costa Rica [edit]
Croatia [edit]
Cuba [edit]
Cyprus [edit]
Czech Republic [edit]
Denmark [edit]
Djibouti [edit]
Dominican Republic [edit]
East Timor [edit]
Ecuador [edit]
Egypt [edit]
El Salvador [edit]
England [edit]
- Lord's Cricket Ground (cricket)
- Twickenham (rugby union)
- Wembley Stadium (football, rugby league)
- The Olympic Stadium (athletics)
- National Hockey Stadium (hockey)
- Wimbledon Centre Court (Tennis)
Equatorial Guinea [edit]
Eritrea [edit]
Estonia [edit]
Ethiopia [edit]
Faroe Islands [edit]
Fiji [edit]
Finland [edit]
France [edit]
- 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 [edit]
The Gambia [edit]
Georgia [edit]
Germany [edit]
- The German national football team usually plays at different stadiums throughout the country. However, the venue for the German Cup Final is the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
Ghana [edit]
Greece [edit]
- Olympic Stadium (athletics and football)
Greenland [edit]
Grenada [edit]
Guatemala [edit]
Guinea [edit]
Guinea-Bissau [edit]
Guyana [edit]
Honduras [edit]
Hong Kong [edit]
Hungary [edit]
Iceland [edit]
Indonesia [edit]
Iran [edit]
Iraq [edit]
India [edit]
- National Stadium, Delhi
- Wankhede Stadium (Cricket)
- Salt Lake Stadium (football and athletics)
- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Athletics and football)
Ireland [edit]
- National Stadium (boxing)
- Croke Park (Gaelic games)
- Aviva Stadium (rugby union and association football)
- Morton Stadium (athletics)
Israel [edit]
- Teddy Stadium
- Hebrew University Stadium (National Stadium and a university Stadium)
- Ramat Gan Stadium (football)
- Nokia Arena (basketball)
- Canada Stadium (Tennis)
Italy [edit]
- The Italian national football team usually plays at different stadiums throughout the country. However, the venue of the Italian Cup Final is the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
- Stadio Flaminio (rugby union)
Ivory Coast [edit]
Jamaica [edit]
Japan [edit]
- Tokyo Dome (baseball)
- Koshien Stadium (baseball)
- National Olympic Stadium (football and athletics)
- Yokohama International Stadium (football)
- Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (rugby union)—The Japan national team plays matches at several venues around the country, but Chichibunomiya is the most commonly used, and the country's national federation is headquartered here.
- Kokugikan (Sumo)
Kenya [edit]
Republic of Korea [edit]
Democratic People's Republic of Korea [edit]
Lesotho [edit]
- Setsoto Stadium (football and athletics)
Lebanon [edit]
Luxembourg [edit]
Libya [edit]
Liechtenstein [edit]
Lithuania [edit]
Macedonia [edit]
Malaysia [edit]
Malta [edit]
Martinique [edit]
- Stade d'Honneur (football and athletics)
Mexico [edit]
Moldova [edit]
Monaco [edit]
- Stade Louis II (football and athletics)
Morocco [edit]
Namibia [edit]
Netherlands [edit]
- Olympisch Stadion (athletics)
- The national football team has no dedicated stadium. It plays at venues around the country.
New Zealand [edit]
- Eden Park (rugby union, cricket)
- Westpac Stadium Football
Nicaragua [edit]
Nigeria [edit]
Northern Ireland [edit]
Norway [edit]
Pakistan [edit]
Panama [edit]
Paraguay [edit]
Peru [edit]
Philippines [edit]
- Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (Manila)
- Rizal Memorial Stadium (athletics, football)
- Rizal Memorial Coliseum (basketball and other indoor sports)
- Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium (baseball)
Poland [edit]
- Stadion Śląski (Silesian Stadium) in Chorzów (football) - this stadium is designated by Polish Football Association as Poland national football team's official national stadium.
- Stadion Narodowy (football) - the stadium is currently under construction, prepared for Euro 2012, but according to Polish Football Association, this stadium will not be Polish national football team's official national stadium after Euro 2012.[1]
- National Rugby Stadium, rugby union national stadium
Portugal [edit]
- Estádio do Jamor (football and athletics); however, the national football team do not always play there.
- Estádio Universitário de Lisboa (rugby union)
Romania [edit]
- Stadionul Naţional (football)
- Stadionul Naţional 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 [edit]
Scotland [edit]
Singapore [edit]
Spain [edit]
- The Spanish national football team usually plays at different stadiums throughout the country. However, it uses two stadiums frequently for exhibition and tournament qualification matches: Camp Nou (home ground of F.C. Barcelona) is the biggest stadium in Spain and in Europe, and Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (Real Madrid) has hosted important games like the 1982 FIFA World Cup Final, as well as it is located in its capital.
Sierra Leone [edit]
- [National Stadium Football & All Athletic events]
South Africa [edit]
The national football, rugby union and cricket teams all play at various venues throughout South Africa. However, these are the de facto national stadiums:
- Soccer City (football)
- Newlands (rugby union)
- The Wanderers (cricket)
- Randburg Astroturf (field hockey)
Sweden [edit]
- Friends Arena (men's football)
- Gamla Ullevi (women's football)
- Tele2 Arena (american football, speedway)
- Stockholms Stadion (athletics)
- Ericsson Globe (ice hockey)
- Lugnet (nordic skiing)
- Åre Ski Area (alpine skiing)
- Stadium Arena (basketball)
- Nya Örvallen (baseball)
- Eriksdalsbadet (swimming)
Syria [edit]
Taiwan [edit]
- Kaohsiung National Stadium (a.k.a. World Games Stadium) (football and athletics)
Tanzania [edit]
Thailand [edit]
Trinidad and Tobago [edit]
Turkey [edit]
Tunisia [edit]
Ukraine [edit]
United States [edit]
- Like Spain, Germany or Italy, the US soccer team has no dedicated stadium or arena. They play at different venues throughout the country for exhibition or tournament purposes. However, 21 games have been held on 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 should be their national stadium.[2][3] The women's soccer team also has no dedicated venue.
Note that in the United States, national team matches occupy a relatively minor place in the overall sports landscape, with the exception of the Olympic basketball and ice hockey tournaments and the World Cups in men's and women's soccer. Media and fan attention focuses mainly on the country's major professional leagues and on college sports[citation needed]. Currently-active venues that are frequently used for national championships include:
- Fenway Park (baseball), the oldest stadium in Major League Baseball, which was used for 10 World Series as of 2007.
- The Home Depot Center (soccer), which hosted the most MLS Cups (5 as of 2012).
- Mercedes-Benz Superdome (American football, basketball), which has hosted the most Super Bowls (7 as of 2013) and NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships (5 as of 2012); also hosts the BCS National Championship Game every four years.
- Staples Center (basketball), which has been used for the most NBA Finals (7 as of 2010).
Uruguay [edit]
Venezuela [edit]
Vietnam [edit]
Wales [edit]
- Millennium Stadium (rugby union and football)
- SWALEC Stadium (cricket)
- Cardiff City Stadium (football) and Rugby Union (Cardiff Blues only)
References [edit]
 |
This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. (August 2009) |
- ^ http://warszawa.gazeta.pl/warszawa/1,34889,9084640,Lato__stadion_w_Warszawie_nie_jest_stadionem_narodowym.html
- ^ RFK as our National Soccer Stadium: News. Match Fit USA (2009-10-20). Retrieved on 2011-12-24.
- ^ Bill Simmons "Every big American soccer game should be played in RFK." News: ESPN. Sports.espn.go.com (2009-10-16). Retrieved on 2011-12-24.
