List of national stadiums explained
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:
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
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
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Prior to confederation into Canada, the Dominion of Newfoundland used King George V Park as its national stadium.
Cape Verde
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
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
There is no official national stadium. The following two stadiums are the largest and most commonly host international events:
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
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
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 |
|---|
| | | 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. |
| | | The GAA is all-island |
| | | Athletics Ireland is all-island, although Athletics Northern Ireland is linked to both Athletics Ireland and UK Athletics. |
| | boxing | The IABA is all-island |
| | basketball | Basketball Ireland is all-island |
| National Sports Campus Development Authority | various indoor sports[4] | Construction began at the National Sports Campus in 2015.[5] |
| | Swim Ireland uses but does not own the venue, which is part of the National Sports Campus. |
| | 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):[6] National Stadium,[7] Croke Park,[8] Semple Stadium,[9] Royal Dublin Society,[10] Aviva Stadium,[11] Thomond Park.[12]
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Republic of Korea
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lesotho
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
- Anjalay Stadium (association football and athletics)
- Arsenal Football Ground (association football)
- Auguste Vollaire Stadium (association football and athletics)
- Bon Acceuil Sports Complex (badminton, jujutsu, karate, and volleyball)
- Glen Park Multi Sports Complex (association football, badminton, basketball, handball, karate, pétanque, table tennis, and taekwondo)
- Harry Latour Stadium (association football)
- Mare D'Albert Swimming Pool (swimming)
- Morcellement St Andre Football Ground (association football)
- National Badminton Centre (badminton)
- National Boxing Centre (boxing)
- National Judo Centre (judo, karate, savate, and wrestling)
- National Table Tennis Centre (table tennis)
- National Weightlifting Centre (Olympic weightlifting)
- National Wrestling Centre (wrestling)
- New George V Stadium (association football)
- Pandit Sahadeo Gymnasium (volleyball)
- Pavillon Swimming Pool (swimming)
- Quartier Militaire Stadium (association football)
- Rivière du Rempart Swimming Pool (swimming)
- Rose Belle Stadium (association football and athletics)
- Rose Hill Multi-Purpose Training Complex (association football, basketball, handball, tennis, and volleyball)
- Serge Alfred Swimming Pool (swimming)
- Sir. R. Ghurburrun Stadium (association football)
- Souvenir Swimming Pool (swimming)
- St François Xavier Stadium (association football)
- Stade Germain Comarmond (association football and athletics)
- The Basketball and Handball Gymnasium (basketball and handball)
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Morocco
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Norway
North Macedonia
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
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.
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.[13] [14] 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
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: Canada: Development Activities. https://web.archive.org/web/20141024030336/http://www.fifa.com/associations/association%3Dcan/development-activities/goal/index.html. October 24, 2014. FIFA. October 23, 2014. dead.
- Web site: Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez - Soccerway. int.soccerway.com.
- Web site: Eesti rahvusstaadion asub nüüd Jalgpalli tänaval . 2 May 2019 .
- Web site: National Indoor Arena. National Sports Campus Development Authority. 12 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161124031107/http://www.nscda.ie/nationalindoorarena.php. 24 November 2016. dead.
- News: Work starts on national arena for Olympic 2016 stars. O'Keeffe. Alan. 18 July 2015. Irish Independent. 12 December 2016.
- Web site: Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003: Amendments, Commencement, SIs made under the Act. 16 November 2016. Irish Statute Book. Other Associated Secondary Legislation . y. 12 December 2016.
- Web site: S.I. No. 156/2015 - Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (Designation of National Sporting Arena) (National Stadium) Regulations 2015. Irish Statute Book. 12 December 2016.
- Web site: S.I. No. 149/2011 - Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (Section 21) (Croke Park, Dublin) Regulations 2011.. Irish Statute Book. 12 December 2016.
- Web site: S.I. No. 124/2011 - Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (Section 21) (Semple Stadium, Thurles) Regulations 2011.. Irish Statute Book. 12 December 2016.
- Web site: S.I. No. 47/2012 - Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (Section 21) (Royal Dublin Society) Regulations 2012.. Irish Statute Book. 12 December 2016.
- Web site: S.I. No. 160/2010 - Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (Section 21) Regulations 2010.. Irish Statute Book. 12 December 2016.
- Web site: S.I. No. 388/2008 - Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 (Section 21) Regulations 2008. Irish Statute Book. 12 December 2016.
- http://www.matchfitusa.com/2009/10/rfk-national-soccer-stadium.html RFK as our National Soccer Stadium: News
- https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmonsnflpicks/091016 Bill Simmons "Every big American soccer game should be played in RFK." News: ESPN
