World sports arenas that impress: 7 best locations

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, air travel between different countries has been temporarily restricted, so Russian travelers and soccer fans cannot go abroad. And the stadiums themselves are now closed to fans almost everywhere in the world. While only the arenas of RPL clubs can be enjoyed live, we offer you a look at seven of the most beautiful foreign arenas in our selection.

Kaohsiung National Stadium

Capacity: 55 thousand people.

The National Stadium in Kaohsiung was opened in 2009 for the start of the World Games in Taiwan. In shape, the arena resembles a dragon, and the entire roof area is covered with solar panels. These are used to generate enough electricity to power the complex. At the time of opening, the National was the first arena in the world where such technology was applied. Taiwan’s national soccer team plays matches at the stadium.

Beijing National Stadium

Capacity: 91 thousand people.

The Beijing National Stadium, built especially for the 2008 Olympic Games, became known as the “Bird’s Nest” due to its unusual appearance. When designing the arena, specialists were clearly inspired by the art of Chinese ceramics. Intertwined steel beams weighing a total of 110,000 tons are used to conceal the supports that hold up the roof.

Tottenham Hotspur

Capacity: 62 thousand people.

The first official match at the new home stadium London club Tottenham Hotspur played only in April last year. By the way, the capacity of the arena is second in England only to “Wembley” and “Old Trafford”.

One of the most technologically advanced complexes in the world boasts original sporting features: a retractable surface for American soccer matches, the proximity of the stands to the pitch and the largest one-piece grandstand in the world, clearly inspired by Borussia Dortmund’s Yellow Wall. Tottenham Hotspur’s features also include the longest stadium bar in the world – 87 meters!

Errickson-Globe

Capacity: 16,000 people.

Eriksson-Glob is an indoor arena located in Stockholm. It is used for a variety of events, from world hockey and UFC championships to concerts. The stadium is the largest spherical structure in the world, opened back in 1989. It has a diameter of 110 meters and a height of 85 meters.

The arena has become part of the Swedish Solar System, a 1:20,000,000 scale model. In it, the Errickson-Globe represents the Sun. It can accommodate up to 16,000 people during concerts and about 14,000 spectators at ice hockey matches.

Singapore National Stadium

Capacity: 55 thousand people.

Singapore’s National Stadium, opened in 2014, features the world’s largest retractable domed roof and slide-in seating on the stadium’s lower tiers. Depending on configuration, the arena can accommodate up to 55,000 people for soccer and rugby matches, up to 52,000 for cricket games and up to 50,000 for entertainment events. The stadium is the home arena of the Singapore national soccer team.

Beijing National Swimming Complex

Capacity: 17 thousand people.

The sports complex is also called the “Water Cube”. It, like the National Stadium, was built for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. During the construction of the arena were used 4 thousand cells of transparent polymer, which looks like a lattice of water bubbles. This material is able to transmit more light than glass and at the same time has less weight.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Capacity: 71 thousand people.

The stadium is located in the American city of Atlanta. The arena was opened in August 2017. Its distinctive feature is a retractable roof with a “turntable” consisting of eight translucent triangular panels. The round opening in the roof is modeled after the Roman Pantheon.

“Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the home arena of two teams at once: “Atlanta Falcons”, playing in the NFL, and “Atlanta United” from MLS. The capacity of the stadium for soccer matches is only 42.5 thousand people, but for NFL matches it can accommodate up to 71 thousand spectators.