What is the Biggest Soccer Stadium in England?
By
Amelia Walker
Senior Content Writer Updated: 04 December 2023
Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer
Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.
Biggest Soccer Stadium in England
- Biggest Soccer Stadium in the UK
- The Largest Soccer Stadium in England: Wembley
- Old Trafford’s Red Passion
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- London Stadium: West Ham United’s New-Ish Home
- The Emirates Stadium: Home to the Gunners
- Frequently Asked Questions
The passion, history, and drama of English soccer comes alive in its iconic stadiums. Across Britain, stadiums of all shapes and sizes host hundreds of thousands of fans who live and breathe the beautiful game.
From London to Manchester, stadiums like Wembley, Old Trafford, and London Stadium are more than just physical venues where soccer is played; they are iconic in their own right, and host thousands of fans every single week. Today, we explore the biggest stadiums by capacity in English soccer – giving you an insight into just how big these venues really are!
Biggest Soccer Stadium in the UK
England’s soccer stadiums are more than just sporting venues – they are the places that represent the history, passion, and identity of English football culture. In this blog, we will explore some of the biggest Premier League soccer stadium sites in England, from historic grounds like Wembley and Old Trafford, to modern stadiums like the London Stadium – and how many visitors they can all hold!
While this blog looks at soccer stadium size, our website also offers tons of Premier League soccer betting tips and sportsbook recommendations – so, be sure to check them out if you’re looking for new places to play!
The Largest Soccer Stadium in England: Wembley
The largest soccer stadium in England is, without a doubt, Wembley – although it’s not just a venue where soccer is played. With a gigantic capacity of 90,000, Wembley Stadium in London is the biggest and most iconic soccer stadium in England at the time of writing – and while it may not be as modern as many of its rival stadiums, it’s incredibly historic.
Originally built in 1923, Wembley hosted England’s World Cup win in 1966 as well as the historic ‘Matthews Final’ of 1953. After closing in 2000, Wembley was rebuilt, becoming multi-purpose – although it’s still best-known for its soccer matches.
The new Wembley dominates the London skyline, and it boasts an incredible 133-meter arch that can be seen for miles. Inside, the stadium feels huge – and many first-time visitors are often blown away by its size!
Wembley represents the most prestigious stage for English players. Cup finals played beneath its arch have become historic in their own right. For England’s players, the chance to walk out onto Wembley’s immaculate turf and represent the Three Lions is a childhood dream.
Though designed as a multi-sport arena, soccer remains Wembley’s centerpiece. In recent years, other sporting events like NFL matches have been played there, but nothing gets the crowd going like a good soccer match; Wembley comes alive on match days, and the roar of the crowd can be heard for miles!
Old Trafford’s Red Passion
With a capacity exceeding 75,000, Old Trafford is the largest and most famous club soccer stadium in England. Home to Manchester United since 1910, the iconic soccer ground earned its nickname the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ due to the great drama that unfolds when the Red Devils take the field. Under the floodlights, generations of United teams have played attacking, dynamic soccer, thrilling fans not just in person, but from all around the world!
Originally built to hold close to 100,000 spectators, numerous renovations have reduced Old Trafford’s size. If it had stuck to its original plans, it would have been larger than Wembley – but thanks to these renovations, the stadium is now more modern – while subtly retaining its old-school charm.
The facilities may look dated, but the history can be found in all areas, including statues honoring legends like Sir Bobby Charlton and a historic club museum that celebrates the trophies won by world-class managers like Sir Alex Ferguson.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a state-of-the-art football venue in north London that opened in 2019. With a capacity of 62,850, it is the largest club stadium in London, fourth largest soccer stadium in the UK, and home to Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur. The stadium was constructed as part of the Northumberland Development Project, a major project that was designed to completely rejuvenate the area around Tottenham’s former White Hart Lane ground.
The stadium is the third-largest soccer stadium in the UK, and it was designed by a company called Populous. It features an asymmetrical bowl design, and the single-tier South Stand alone can seat some 17,500 fans! In addition, the stadium also boasts a microbrewery, premium lounges – suspended underneath the roof – and the largest club shop in the whole of Europe!
As the stadium is also home to some of the UK’s NFL games, there’s a clever mechanical system in play that can retract the grass soccer field, revealing an artificial turf surface for use in NFL games. In fact, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium became the first purpose-built NFL stadium outside the U.S. when it began hosting NFL London Games in 2019!
London Stadium: West Ham United’s New-Ish Home
The London Stadium is a multi-purpose venue located in Stratford, East London, with a capacity of around 62,500 (regulated), or 66,000 (seated). Originally built for the 2012 London Olympics, the stadium was renovated after the Games for long-term use, and today, it’s home to Premier League side West Ham United. They moved to the stadium back in 2016 after departing their historic Boleyn Ground.
However, it’s not just Premier League matches the stadium hosts; you’ll also find international soccer matches, professional rugby, concerts, and more – and thanks to the stadium’s flexible design, many different field configurations can be used.
Like most of the stadiums we talk about in this blog, the London Stadium boasts a variety of different features including a wraparound roof canopy, a circular, light-emitting video screen, and retractable seating. The roof itself provides cover for most spectators, while still allowing for natural light and ventilation. The name of West Ham is spelled out on the red seats in the stadium – and, as you’d expect, there are also several corporate suites, and an official West Ham United club store!
Like most of the newer stadiums we’ve talked about on this page, London Stadium was developed with sustainability in mind, and it was built – partially – using recyclable polycarbonate materials, allowing the roof to let in natural light – without using harmful-to-the-environment building materials, as found in many older soccer stadiums. The seats are also made of eco-friendly materials!
The Emirates Stadium: Home to the Gunners
The Emirates Stadium, home to Arsenal, is in Holloway, and is the fifth-biggest soccer stadium in England, boasting a capacity of some 60,704 fans. It opened back in 2006, replacing Arsenal’s former home, Highbury Stadium. The Emirates Stadium uses state-of-the-art facilities, and was designed to maximize views of the pitch, while creating an intimate atmosphere for fans and players alike.
One of the things that makes the stadium unique is the exterior façade, which is made of both glass and steel – allowing it to ‘sparkle’ in the sun. Inside, you’ll find four all-seater stands going around the pitch in a bowl-like formation, aiming to keep fans as close to the action as possible. The seats of the Emirates Stadium are colored in red and white – matching Arsenal’s kit, too!
One of the things that developers had to keep in mind when developing the stadium was sustainability. As a result, much of the stadium was built using recycled materials, and energy-efficient technology has been used wherever possible.
The Emirates is one of the most popular stadiums in the UK thanks to the fact that it’s very well-connected to public transport, too. It’s located near both the Holloway Road and Arsenal London Underground stations, making it easy for fans to reach the stadium!
