There’s nothing like seeing your favorite soccer stars in the flesh at a live soccer match. But the prospect of visiting some soccer stadiums is every bit as exciting as seeing the game about to be played there. Because some stadiums are quite simply incredible feats of architecture, construction and engineering. Their design, layout and other elements inspire the atmosphere and excitement you’d expect of a rip-roaring soccer game. Below is a look at some of the world’s best soccer stadiums, with a special focus on Europe, where they especially love “the Beautiful Game,” and on the Americas.

Wembley

Wembley, in London, the UK, is the home of the English national soccer squad. Many a fan engages in a little football betting on FA Cup final day and then heads to the ground to roar on their side from the stands of this amazing venue.

Wembley opened in 1923, which means it has reached its 100th birthday. The stadium boasts 90,000 seats, is the largest sports venue in the UK and the second largest football stadium in Europe. The ground has hosted some epic soccer events, including the 1966 World Cup, which saw the home nation win the most famous sports trophy in the world (a win it still gets excited about today!), and the final of the Euro 1996 championship, which the reunified Germany won.

Stadio Olimpico

The Stadio Olimpico, in Rome, Italy, offers a capacity of 72,698 and is the home ground ofboth AS Roma and Lazio. This stadium, owned by the Italian Olympic Committee, opened in May 1953 and is the largest sports stadium in Italy.

In the past, the Stadio Olimpico has had the honor of hosting two Champions League finals, not to mention the 

1990 World Cup final, which the former West Germany won against Argentina. When Italy won its bid to host the World Cup, the country realized that the stadium would have to undergo extensive alterations, but in the end, it built almost an entire stadium.

Dignity Health Sports Park

Dignity Health Sports Park, in Carson, California, is the home of the Major League Soccer(MLS) giants LA Galaxy, who have won the MLS Cup five times. The stadium holds 27,000 seated and has seen soccer heavyweights such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Steven Gerrard and, of course, David Beckham all work their magic on its turf.

In footballing terms, the stadium is relatively young, having opened in 2003. In that first year, however, it wasted no time in hosting some big events, including the 2003 All-Star Game, the MLS Cup game and the final of the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The stadium is part of a wider sports venue that also features an 8,000 seat tennis stadium, a 2,000 seat facility for track and field athletics, and a 2,450 seat indoor velodrome for track cycling.

El Monumental

El Monumental is the home of Argentine soccer club River Plate, one of the country’s “Big Five” football clubs,and is a major soccer stadium not just in Argentina but in the whole of South America. Not only does the stadium host River’s games, but also Argentina’s international matches, and can accommodate 76,000 people seated.

El Monumental opened in 1938, but in 1978 the city enlarged the stadium when Argentina hosted the World Cup. The investment was worth it as the hosts would go on to win the biggest tournament on Earth. Interestingly, it was thanks to the sale of a single player, Enrique Omar Sivori, to Italian side Juventus in 1957, that River was able to complete the stadium. Back in those days, the sale was a lot of money.

Camp Nou

The Camp Nou is the home of FC Barcelona and opened in 1957. The club had generated so much interested that its former stadium of Les Corts had become too small to meet demands. The club decided to put that right with this magnificent stadium which has a capacity of 99,354, but which regulations have obliged the club to lower to 99,000 or less,and is the biggest stadium in Europe. The club got its name, which translates as “new ground,”after it became popularly known as this. So much so that the club decided later to formally name it as “Camp Nou”

Astonishingly, despite the stadium’s massive size, the venue has been bigger. For the 1982 FIFA World Cup, it increased the stadium capacity to a whopping 120,000. The stadium also falls into the “Category 4”of the UEFA system, which recognizes it as one of the stadiums to meet even the most demanding requirements regarding capacity, facilities and services.

The above are just some of the world’s most fantastic soccer stadiums. Others you may wish to visit include the French side Marseille’s stadium, Stade Velodrom;and Spanish side Real Madrid’s, Santiago Bernabeu.