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 (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, especially in the case of the United States due to its geographical size and high population.
A list of national stadiums follows:
National Stadium (football)
Qemal Stafa
Elbasan Arena
Loro Boriçi Stadium
Stade 5 Juillet 1962 (football)
Veterans Memorial Stadium, Pago Pago (football)
Andorra
Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella (football)
Estádio da Cidadela (football)
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua Recreation Ground (cricket and football)
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.
Hrazdan Stadium (football)
Hanrapetakan Stadium (football)
Australia does not have an official national stadium, yet its two biggest stadiums alternate hosting large events are the following:
Melbourne Cricket Ground (Cricket and Australian rules football) - currently the largest sporting venue in Australia and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere with a capacity of 100,024.
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) with a capacity of 84,000. 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 no longer played at the venue, while Australian rules will not be played there beyond 2016.
Ernst Happel Stadion (football)
Baku National Stadium (football)
Thomas Robinson Stadium (football and athletics)
Bahrain National Stadium (football)
Bangabandhu National Stadium (football and athletics)
Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium (cricket)
Barbados National Stadium (outdoor track and field)
Borisov Arena (football)
King Baudouin Stadium (football and athletics)
Stade de l'Amitié (football)
Bermuda National Stadium (football, rugby union, athletics and cricket)
Changlimithang Stadium (football and archery)
Estadio Hernando Siles (football)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium
Stadion pod Bijelim Brijegom
Botswana National Stadium (football)
Brazil does not have an official national stadium. Large sports events (mostly football) are commonly held in alternate venues. However, during reconstruction for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and as the capital city's and country's greatest stadium, the name Estádio Nacional (Portuguese for National Stadium) was added to the old Mané Garrincha stadium, leaving its official name as Estádio Nacional de Brasília Mané Garrincha, even though it isn't act as a solo national stadium.
The second largest and most well known stadium in Brazil is Estádio do Maracanã located at Rio de Janeiro. The Brazil national football team have most of their high-profile matches taken place in the Maracanã and the venue has hosted multiple World Cup and Copa America matches in its history including the two World Cup finals that Brazil has hosted (1950 and 2014).
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium (football)
Vasil Levski National Stadium (football and athletics)
Stade du 4-Août (football)
Stade Prince Louis Rwagasore (football)
Phnom Penh National Olympic Stadium (football and athletics)
Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo (football and athletics)
Air Canada Centre (basketball)
BC Place (multiple sports)
BMO Field (Canada men's national soccer team)
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. Likewise, Canadian football and lacrosse, two prominent sports unique to Canadian culture, play at multiple venues across the nation.
Prior to confederation into Canada, the Dominion of Newfoundland used King George V Park as its national stadium.
Estádio da Várzea (football)
Stade Barthélemy Boganda (football)
Stade Idriss Mahamat Ouya (football)
Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos (football)
Beijing National Stadium (athletics)
Chinese football (soccer) national team does not have a national stadium. The team plays games in Beijing Labour's Stadium, Shanghai Hongkou Stadium, Nanjing Olympic Sports Center.
Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez (football)
Stade de la Revolution (football)
Stade des Martyrs (football and athletics)
Cook Islands
National Stadium (Cook Islands)
Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica (football and athletics)
No national stadium
Estadio Latinoamericano (baseball)
GSP Stadium (football)
Strahov Stadium (sokol)
Eden Arena (football)
O2 arena (ice hockey)
Parken Stadium (football)
Stade du Ville
Windsor Park (cricket and football)
Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez (athletics and football)
Estadio Quisqueya (baseball)
Estadio Nacional (East Timor) (football)
Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa (football and athletics)
Borg El Arab Stadium (football)
Cairo International Stadium (football and athletics)
Estadio Cuscatlán (football)
Nuevo Estadio de Malabo (football)
Cicero Stadium (football)
A. Le Coq Arena (football)
Kadriorg Stadium (athletics)
Saku Suurhall (basketball)
Addis Ababa Stadium (football)
Faroe Islands
Tórsvøllur (football)
National Stadium (rugby union)
Finland
Helsinki Olympic Stadium (football and athletics)
Hartwall Areena (ice hockey)
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.
Stade Omar Bongo (football)
Independence Stadium (Bakau) (football)
Boris Paichadze Stadium (football and rugby union)
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. As a multipurpose stadium, the Olympic stadium also hosts international athletic competitions and is planned to be the venue for the final of the 2018 American Football European Championship among other events.
Ohene Djan Stadium (football)
Olympic Stadium (athletics)
Karaiskakis Stadium (Football)
Greenland
Nuuk Stadium (football)
New National Stadium (proposed)
Grenada National Stadium (football and athletics)
Queen's Park (cricket)
Estadio Mateo Flores (football and athletics)
Stade 28 Septembre (football)
Estádio 24 de Setembro (football)
Bourda (cricket)
Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano (football)
Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino (football)
Hong Kong Stadium (football and rugby sevens)
Puskás Ferenc Stadium (it is in need of renovation - until this time the Groupama Arena is hosting most international matches.)
Iceland
Laugardalsvöllur (football)
National Stadium, Delhi (Field Hockey)
Salt Lake Stadium (football)
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (football)
The country does not have a home stadium for cricket.The national team plays at different venues.The most notable stadiums are Eden Gardens, Wankhede Stadium and Chinnaswam Stadium.
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium
Istora Senayan (Badminton)
Azadi Stadium
Al-Shaab Stadium
Basra Sports City
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.
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): National Stadium, Croke Park, Semple Stadium, Royal Dublin Society, Aviva Stadium, Thomond Park.
Teddy Stadium (football)
Sammy Ofer Stadium (football)
Nokia Arena (basketball)
Canada Stadium (Tennis)
The Italian national football team usually plays at different stadiums throughout the country.
Stadio Olimpico (Olympics and rugby union)
In the case of rugby union, the national team plays matches throughout the country, but since 2012 has used Stadio Olimpico for all of its home Six Nations matches. Previously, Stadio Flaminio served the same purpose.
Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny (football)
Independence Park (football and athletics)
Sabina Park (cricket)
Tokyo Dome (baseball)
Koshien Stadium (baseball)
National Stadium (football and athletics)
International Stadium Yokohama (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)
Nyayo National Stadium
Kasarani National Stadium
Bairiki National Stadium (football)
Seoul Olympic Stadium (athletics)
Seoul World Cup Stadium (football)
Kim Il-sung Stadium (football and athletics)
Rungnado May Day Stadium
Franso Hariri Stadium (football and athletics)
Spartak Stadium (football and athletics)
Setsoto Stadium (football and athletics)
Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium
Stade Josy Barthel
11 June Stadium
Rheinpark Stadion (football)
Siemens Arena (basketball)
S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium (football)
Philip II Arena (football)
Stadium Negara (football)
Bukit Jalil National Stadium (football and athletics)
Ta' Qali Stadium (football)
Hibernians Ground (Rugby union)
Stade d'Honneur (football and athletics)
Estadio Azteca (football)
Estadio Olimpico Universitario (athletics)
Revolution Ice Rink (ice hockey)
Mexico does not have a national arena/stadium for baseball or basketball. Mexico's national baseball and basketball teams play at various venues throughout the country.
Zimbru Stadium (football)
Stade Louis II (football and athletics)
Podgorica City Stadium (football)
Marrakesh Stadium
Hage Geingob Stadium (rugby union)
Netherlands
Olympisch Stadion (athletics)
The national football team has no dedicated stadium. It plays at venues around the country. However the most commonly used stadium is the Amsterdam ArenA in Amsterdam, home to Eredivisie club Ajax.
Estadio Dennis Martinez (baseball and football)
Abuja Stadium (football and other sports)
Lagos National Stadium (football and other sports)
Ullevaal Stadion (football)
Bislett Stadion (athletics)
National Stadium, Karachi, (cricket)
Palau National Stadium (PCC Palau Track & Field Stadium), (football and other sports)
Estadio Nacional de Panamá (baseball)
Estadio Rommel Fernández (Football)
Sir Hubert Murray Stadium (rugby league, football)
Estadio Defensores del Chaco (football)
Estadio Nacional (Lima) (football)
Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (Manila)
Rizal Memorial Stadium (athletics, football)
Rizal Memorial Coliseum (basketball and other indoor sports)
Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium (baseball)
Poland
Stadion Śląski (Silesian Stadium) in Chorzów (football) - this stadium was previously designated by Polish Football Association as Poland national football team's official national stadium. It is currently being renovated.
Stadion Narodowy (football) - home stadium of Poland national football team.
National Rugby Stadium, rugby union national stadium
Estádio do Jamor (football and athletics). However, the national football team very seldom plays there.
Estádio Universitário de Lisboa (rugby union)
Arena Națională (football)
Stadionul Național 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.
Luzhniki Stadium (football and athletics)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Warner Park Sporting Complex (cricket and football)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Arnos Vale Stadium (cricket and football)
Red Star Stadium (football)
Belgrade Arena (basketball)
National Stadium (football, athletics)
Jalan Besar Stadium (football)
Mogadishu Stadium
The Spanish national football team usually plays at different stadiums throughout the country. However, it uses three stadiums frequently for exhibition and tournament qualification matches: Camp Nou (home ground of FC Barcelona) is the biggest stadium in Spain and in Europe, 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, and finally, Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla, in Seville.
National Stadium (football and athletics)
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)
Seoul World Cup Stadium (football)
André Kamperveen Stadion (football)
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)
Switzerland
Stade de Suisse (Football)
Abbasiyyin Stadium (football)
Aleppo International Stadium (football)
Kaohsiung National Stadium (a.k.a. World Games Stadium) (football and athletics)
Pamir Stadium (football and athletics)
National Stadium
Thailand
Rajamangala Stadium (football and athletics)
Suphachalasai Stadium (football and athletics)
Trinidad and Tobago
Hasely Crawford Stadium (football and athletics)
Atatürk Olympic Stadium (football and athletics)
Olympic Stadium (football and athletics)
Stade Olympique de Rades
Uganda
Mandela National Stadium (football and athletics)
Olimpiysky National Sports Complex (football and athletics)
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.
The Olympic Stadium (athletics)
Wimbledon Centre Court (Tennis)
Silverstone Circuit (Motorsport)
England
Lord's Cricket Ground (cricket)
Twickenham (rugby union)
Wembley Stadium (football, rugby league)
Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre (hockey) formerly National Hockey Stadium but no longer exists
National Badminton Centre (badminton)
Northern Ireland
Windsor Park (football)
Mary Peters Track (athletics)
Scotland
Hampden Park (football)
Murrayfield (rugby union)
The Grange (cricket)
Millennium Stadium (rugby union and football)
SWALEC Stadium (cricket)
Cardiff City Stadium (football)
Like Spain, Brazil, Germany or 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 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 is the de facto national stadium. The women's soccer team also has no dedicated venue.
USA Hockey has designated home arenas for some of its teams. The national under-17 and under-18 boys' teams play home games at Ann Arbor Ice Cube in Ann Arbor, 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 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.
Augusta National Golf Club (golf)—Augusta, home of The Masters, is the only one of the three U.S.-based 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.
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.
Estadio Centenario (football)
Estadio Charrúa (rugby union)
Estadio Pueblo Nuevo (football)
My Dinh National Stadium (football)
National Sports Stadium (football, rugby union and athletics)
