The Best Football Stadiums in Europe

Soccer is a religion for most people in Europe and the stadium where games are held are nothing short of Mecca.

Let's take a look at the best stadiums in Europe in my opinion.

If I ever got a chance to go to Europe, I will definitely visit these football pilgrimages.

Find out if your favorite soccer stadium made the list.

5) Santiago Bernebeu, Madrid, Real Madrid

It is no surprise that one of the best soccer club in the world has one of the best and most easily recognizable stadiums.

The 'Los Blancos' play their home games at this historical stadium. The Bernebeu was opened in 1947 and can hold 80,400 singing and chanting fans.

This historical stadium has held the European Cup three times and will host it for a fourth time in the 2010 season.

4) Wembley Stadium, London, England

The Wembley, or the New Wembley is perhaps the most iconic stadium in the United Kingdom (I know Manchester United and Liverpool fans think otherwise).

Demolished and reconstructed between 2003 and 2007, it holds about 90,000 fans and remains the largest covered stadium in Europe.

Home to the England National Football Team, it also plays host to multiple concerts and the NFL International Series every year.

It will host the 2011 Champions League final.

3) Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Inter Milan & AC Milan

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, or the San Siro is home to the two Milanese giants, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

Very few stadiums across Europe play home to two world class teams, and San Siro is undoubtedly the most famous amongst them.

With a capacity of 80,000 fans, the San Siro is one of the largest stadiums in Italy and commonly features flares, banners and chanting from the Ultras.

2) Allianz Area, Munich, Bayern Munich & 1860 Munich

You may be forgiven for thinking that it looks like a UFO, but the Allianz Arena is one of the best football stadiums in Europe.

Home to Bayern Munich and the less famous 1860 Munich, it is a technological marvel, breaking new grounds for a football stadium.

With a capacity to hold 69,000 fans, the stadium features a facade which can be lit into three different colours depending on the home team. Red for Bayern, Blue for 1860 TSV, and White for the German National Team.

1) Camp Nou, Barcelona, FC Barcelona

Home to the Catalan giants, Barcelona, the Camp Nou is a behemoth stadium, and holds about 99,000 seats.

It is the best stadium in Europe, not because it is the most modern or because it the most technically advanced one, it is not, but because of the atmosphere and the passion of the fans that flock to see their favorite club perform.

If Real Madrid can boast about more trophies and championships, The Catalans can certainly boast about Camp Nou.

The Best of the Rest

Those were, according to me, the best five stadiums in Europe. Completing the top 10, would be:

6) Old Trafford, Manchester, Manchester United
7) Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Benfica
8) Westfalenstadion, Dormund, Borussia Dortmund
9) Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, AFC Ajax
10) Stade de France, St. Denis, France