Soccer, Football, Futbol… call it what you want, it is lighting the world on fire right now. Everywhere you turn the world is obsessing with the sport. TV station airtimes are being dominated with broadcasted games, newscasters are discussing at great lengths, and advertisers are all taking advantage of this unifying international phenomenon.
Soccer itself is one of the most popular sports in Europe and the Americas. A rich history has paved its way: dating back to 2nd and 3rd centuries BC in China, Greeks and Romans were depicted playing a similar sport. The Japanese also used to play a derivative of ancient soccer. However, modern soccer started in England and has quite the storied path, including being banded by the King. The popularity of the sport quickly traveled all over the world and is now an internationally prominent pastime.
Check out these unique stadiums — each of them is special.
Stadium Amazonia
Manaus, Brazil
The Stadium Amazonia (A 2014 FIFA World Cup Stadium) sits in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest and is focused on the environment. Rainwater is collected for toilet use and the pitch of the stadium ceiling is strategically used for shading areas. Plants are also utilized as sun protection and temperature control. The stadium is designed to resemble the aesthetics of a straw basket; a product the region is known for. The facility was erected in 2010 and completed in March 2014 and can hold 42,300 fans. After the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the stadium is planning to continue to attract tourists by hosting cultural events and concerts.
Olympiastadion
Berlin, Germany
A stadium steeped in cultural significance; if only these walls could talk. Berlin’s Olympiastadion has seen in all: Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, World War II, and countless finals and events. The stadium has clean geometric shapes is reminiscent of ancient sport facilities. You might have seen the infamous videos of the 1936 Olympic Opening Ceremony, it was the first televised Olympic Game, where many countries obeyed Hitler’s request and gave the Nazi Salute as they passed by. The Olympiastadion surprisingly suffered very little damage during World War II. Since then it has hosted 3 matches in the 1974 FIFA World Cup and 6 matches in the 2006 World Cup, and countless other matches and events along the way.
Estadio Azteca
Mexico City, Mexico
The notorious Mexico City stadium, Estadio Azteca, has sparked many unforgettable FIFA World Cup moments. It has paved the way to go down in history as one of the loudest stadiums in the world; the stadium’s signature roof traps and amplifies the sound from the massive upper level seating area — filling the air with cacophony and racket. Add the notorious altitude (7,200 feet above sea level) and smog conditions, it makes it inhospitable for visiting teams. But nontheless, the stadium has witnessed some of the most electrifying moments in FIFA World Cup history over the past 40 years.
Sapporo Dome
Sapporo, Japan
The Sapporo Dome is a high technology sporting complex located in Japan. The stadium hosts baseball (Japan’s leading spectator sport), soccer, and cultural events such as concerts. The stadium was opened in 2001 and hosted 3 games in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The playing surface switches between two entirely different turfs. The articifical baseball turf is rolled up and off the field, the “stage” is then rotated 90 degrees to fit the soccer set up, the seats are then rearranged, and the soccer turf is moved in. Also unique to this stadium, the roof is a fixed roof and does not retract, which is essentially a necessity as the stadium is located in Northern, snowy Japan. However, this causes another issue — how do you have real grass for the soccer field if it cannot see natural sunlight? The solution: allow the soccer field to slide outside (via a retractable side wall) when the weather permits. (As pictured above)
The National Stadium
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
The National Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium and can hold 55,000 people. The unique design is a dream of Japanese architect Toyo Ito. It’s curviature nature is designed to resemble a dragon while the paneling resembles the reptiles scales. It was the world’s first stadium to draw most of its energy from the sun. With 8,844 solar panels, almost the entire roof is comprised of photovoltaic panels harnessing solar power for the stadiums sustainability. The stadium was built to host the 2009 World Games and when the stadium is not in use it becomes a de facto power generator — the stadium can sell enough electricity to the local power utility to earn the city goverment over $150,000 per year.