20 Amazing Foreign Destinations for Premier League Games
The Premier League is a highly marketable business venture that some esteemed figures of the English game would love to see taken abroad in the effort of expanding its reach even further.
Earlier in October, The Guardian's Owen Gibson reported that the idea of each Premier League club playing one of its 38 league games abroad was gaining momentum.
It's difficult to argue against money being at the centre of the argument, and it's no surprise that English supporters have raised concerns with the idea, with Arsenal and Chelsea fans among that number per the Daily Mail's Matt Barlow.
However, it is a business strategy that some see as inevitable, so here we ignore the negative connotations of its exportation to examine which destinations around the world could be ideal.
Rather than simply considering the finest stadiums in the world, this list is compiled in terms of overall appeal from both an entertainment and marketing point of view. While some stadia appeal more to one side of that argument than the other, all have a case to host Premier League matches.
1. Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
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Capacity: 105,000
As the site of Brazil's famous 1970 World Cup triumph, Mexico's Estadio Azteca is a stadium ingrained in football folklore, opening in 1966 as one of the largest grounds housing any club.
The Mexican national team and Club America call the arena their home, and a massive Premier League support in Latin America would undoubtedly be capable of filling the venue depending on the teams playing.
In 2005, the NFL International Series made a success of its trip south of the border by using the Azteca as one of its foreign outposts, and England's giants could mimic that triumph with a trip to Mexico City.
2. Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
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Capacity: 53,000
From a business point of view, the Amsterdam ArenA may not be the most profitable of destinations due to its capacity being far from the largest included in our list.
However, the home of the Dutch national side is considered something of a monastery in Holland, being the largest venue in the country and formerly considered a five-star stadium under previous UEFA regulations.
The home of the Oranje sits as one of the most beautiful footballing homes in Europe, boasting a retractable roof and the Ajax Museum chronicling more than 100 years of the club's history.
Should Louis van Gaal still be Manchester United manager if or when outsourced Premier League games come to fruition, a return to his former club's home would be quite the occasion of mixed emotions.
3. MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
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Capacity: 82,500
When speaking of potential destinations to house a Premier League game, taking England's top tier to New York would inevitably rise as a possibility of considerable marketing potential.
MetLife Stadium, home of the National Football League's New York Giants and New York Jets, has a seating capacity almost on par with Wembley, and the Big Apple would almost certainly hold an interest in hosting the Premier League's big guns.
As an non-domed stadium, generating an atmosphere might be of some concern, but the 2014 Super Bowl showed that fans are without a doubt capable of drumming up noise in the open-air arena.
The East Coast can be a harsh place, however, so any game fielded in New Jersey would need to be situated carefully in the calendar, with cold weather promising to cause fans trouble in travel and the general enjoyment of any fixture.
4. San Siro, Milan
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Capacity: 83,000
Moving to an opposing European league isn't the first thought that springs to mind when considering venues that promise substantial financial yield, and the urge to attend a Premier League game in Italy may not be as great.
However, the San Siro is a cathedral of the game, and if Milan's titans were willing to cooperate in allowing Premier League competition to use the facilities for a week in the future, it could be a match made in heaven.
That's mainly speaking from a supporter's point of view, of course, as how often does the chance come about to watch Stoke City take on Burnley in a place steeped in such football legend?
Granted, Serie A's legions may not be crazy about such an idea, but the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza can't be ignored as a dream destination for any English outfit.
5. Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
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Capacity: 120,000
Officially counted as a the second-largest arena in the world behind Pyongyang's Rungrado May Day Stadium, Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium would need teams of considerable global stature in order to fill its capacity.
The elite of England's ranks boast significant pockets of support in India, though, and if Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool in particular were to field a game at the home of the country's national team, they might have the means to put rears in every seat.
It was announced by the official Premier League website back in June that a partnership had been signed between the Premier League and the recently started Indian Super League. As such, England has even more reason to want to grow its ties with the Asian nation.
Some sides in support of the move abroad would stand to make massive profits in clinching this particular deal.
6. FedExField, Maryland
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Capacity: 85,000
With a capacity similar to that of Twickenham, FedExField isn't beyond the realm of English comprehension in sheer size but is the largest venue owned by any NFL organisation.
During the American football season, the Washington Redskins play their games at the Maryland site, but unless post-season hopes take a considerable boost in the near future, Premier League teams would have no scheduling conflicts with the destination during the post-New Year's period.
During their 2011-12 pre-season preparations, Manchester United beat Barcelona 2-1 in front of a capacity crowd at FedExField, so one can only imagine the intrigue a competitive Premier League matchup might bring.
7. Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta
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Capacity: 88,000
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium would be another stadium considered for such honours as a Premier League fixture mainly, if not solely due to its financial promise.
Indonesia is a population housing mainly Manchester United fans—one fan-based Twitter account brags of more than 120,000 followers—but a wider fascination in the Premier League would assuredly bring in the punters, too.
However, looking at the prospect from more than just a financial angle, Jakarta could be an obscure and beautiful location to host the English game, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea having previously flocked there on pre-season tours in the past.
8. Maracana, Rio de Janeiro
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Capacity: 78,000
It's only just got over the hysteria of hosting a World Cup final, but Rio de Janeiro's Maracana would undoubtedly be among those venues considered to hold any Premier League game moving across the sea.
Brazil's local fans are to be commended for the numbers in which they turn out for their Brasileiro Serie A outfits, but the chance to offer England's bastions a home away from home could also draw massive numbers.
A selection of Premier League sides, namely Chelsea and Manchester City, also happen to have strong samba contingents among their squads, which would help in luring any supporters to watch their Selecao heroes in action.
The Maracana was once the largest football stadium in the world, and its unofficial attendance record of more than 200,000 at the 1950 World Cup final is but one gem linking this site with the history of the sport as a whole.
9. Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
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Capacity: 81,000
The Yellow Wall is renowned as being one of the most fearsome sections of fan support in world football, and many Premier League fans might jump at the chance of a trip to Gelsenkirchen.
Recent years have seen Borussia Dortmund become the guilty pleasure of many neutrals outside Germany, and the hipster destination of choice could well entice many English followers to make the journey to the Bundesliga's biggest arena.
10. The Bird's Nest, Beijing
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Capacity: 80,000
Arguably the most aesthetically pleasing of any ground featured, the Beijing National Stadium, otherwise referred to as "The Bird's Nest," is a visual marvel to behold.
Since 2009, the main attraction of the 2008 Summer Olympics has hosted the Supercoppa Italiana on three occasions,with Lazio, Milan and Juventus winning the competition in 2009, 2011 and 2012, respectively.
China is another Asian outlet boasting a gargantuan support of the Premier League's big guns, but the Bird's Nest has seen a disappointingly low amount of sport attractions since it hosted the Olympic Games six years ago.
11. Stade de France, Paris
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Capacity: 81,000
The Stade de France has twice hosted the Champions League final (2000 and 2006) and on numerous occasions has shown that it's well able to cope with big occasions.
Despite not having any Ligue 1 club use its facilities as its main site, the French national rugby and football teams have enjoyed hosting their matches in Paris, a city that would make for a very attractive weekend Premier League getaway.
The Stade de France is easily accessible via public transport, and Euro 2016 will serve as an ideal experiment to see how the French capital handles droves of foreign supporters almost 20 years after it did so with some success at the 1998 World Cup.
12. La Bombonera, Buenos Aires
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Capacity: 49,000
Flights from London to Argentina may not be considered the cheapest away day at roughly $1,500 a trip, but the locals in Buenos Aires may be happy to purchase any Premier League tickets not snapped up by the English faithful.
La Bombonera is famed for its iconic, flat design, giving it a name which translates to "The Chocolate Box" in English, and a South American site would indeed be a sweet venue to visit as part of the Premier League calendar.
Having hosted some of the biggest music acts in the world, Boca Juniors' home ground is well accustomed to staging high-profile events, and its 90-degree stand would look grand packed to the rafters with fans backing English visitors.
13. Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur
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Capacity: 100,000
Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan may be among the most adamant to ensure his Bluebirds would get to stage a match in his native Malaysia's Bukit Jalil National Stadium, should they get back into the Premier League in the seasons to come.
With a 100,000-seat capacity, it's a most appetising venture to any club willing to monetise further, with Manchester United and Arsenal also the owners of vast support groups in the country.
The Malaysian national team play their home games in this gargantuan ground, the 10th-largest in the world overall. It has already held pre-season events for the Red Devils, the Gunners, Liverpool and Chelsea since 2001.
14. ANZ Stadium, Sydney
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Capacity: 84,000
After the Melbourne Cricket Ground, ANZ Stadium is the second-biggest venue in Australia, but as lower-league fans will attest, an entertaining fixture for the supporters is about more than sheer size.
The ANZ Stadium is more used to staging rugby union and league events than it is association football, but the temperament fans Down Under have shown at those national sporting occasions show that there's certainly potential in Sydney.
There is a demand for big teams at the venue, with Everton beating Sydney FC 1-0 in 2010 in front of just 40,000 fans compared to the 83,000 that showed up for Manchester United's 5-1 hammering of the A-League All Stars in 2013.
15. Camp Nou, Barcelona
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Capacity: 99,500
In the effort of ensuring not all the away games mentioned here are of the far-flung variety, Spain would make for a much easier destination as far as English fans looking to travel would be concerned.
And if Spain was to be a plausible location for the Premier League, Barcelona's Camp Nou would have to be taken into consideration as the largest venue she has to offer, seating close to 100,000.
Many have surely wondered how Lionel Messi would fare at the Britannia Stadium on a cold, February evening, but if Messi won't come to Stoke City, perhaps Stoke City can come to Messi.
16. El Monumental, Buenos Aires
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Capacity: 67,000
River Plate and Argentina hold a rich history with the Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti, commonly referred to as "El Monumental," one of the largest stadia in South America.
Only a stone's throw away from Buenos Aires' town centre, there are transport links connecting the stadium to the capital. It is also one of the more unique-looking destinations of this kind of size.
17. Allianz Arena, Munich
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Capacity: 75,000
With its ability to change its exterior panels to reflect the colours of the teams playing inside, the Allianz Arena is a unique site that would look remarkable doused in, say, the orange and black of Hull City.
Germany's extended winter break could mean that a New Year's trip to Munich would work out well for all parties concerned, although there would still be the matter of negotiating with Bayern Munich for the use of their ground.
That being said, the Germans could stand to make considerable financial hay from any fixture themselves and would perhaps be willing to do business, and in the off chance any travellers fancy a road trip, the venue also happens to house Europe's largest parking structure.
18. National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo
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Capacity: 57,000
The stadium one sees above isn't the same one that could play host to any Premier League matches in future, considering the plan to demolish the current National Olympic Stadium in 2015 and replace it with an improved structure for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Under the skyscrapers of Tokyo, a Premier League setting would look majestic with a Japanese backdrop set in the distance, and again the masses of Asian support for English football could easily fill it.
19. Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
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Capacity: 40,000
The smallest-capacity destination of any included in our countdown is the relatively modest Hong Kong Stadium, similar to Anfield or Villa Park in size.
Asia's southeast coast may not instantly spring to mind as a wild destination, but rugby sevens days have shown in the past that there is an entertaining aspect to this ground, and who doesn't fancy a trip to Hong Kong?
In 2008, the Hong Kong Stadium became the first venue outside Australia or New Zealand to host a Bledisloe Cup rugby match, and it could use its appeal to break new ground with Premier League hosting honours in future.
20. Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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Capacity: 85,000
It wouldn't seem fair to give the Camp Nou its crack at the Premier League without also throwing Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu up for consideration.
One has the feeling that the El Clasico participants would take an "anything you can do, I can do better" approach to such matters, and if one club were to agree a deal with English football, the other would perhaps strive to get in on the action as well.
All rivalries aside, though, the Spanish capital venue is a European marvel as far as arenas go, and perhaps Jose Mourinho could wiggle his way back into Los Merengues' dressing room without actually returning to La Liga.
