Aug 11, 2024 4 min read

With the next World Cup being a multi-hosted event and one of the hosts being the USA, I feel like I am in a good position to tell you the best and worst stadiums for this World Cup having been to most. Like anything, I am only going to rank the ones I have been to, this means I won’t be commenting on the BC Place in Vancouver, the Lumen Field in Seattle and the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Carla. Other than that, I am well-versed and ready to name the best and worst that this World Cup has to offer.

The Worst:

Starting with the worst stadiums may be a bit of a downer but I would rather save the best for last, in saying that, the first stadium I want to mention is:

Gillette Stadium – Foxborough

When we look at Soccer stadiums in the US with history, the Gillette Stadium is one of the most prominent, with the stadium being redone over 20 years ago in place of the Foxboro Stadium. For the fans of soccer, you will know this as a stadium that held games in the 1994 World Cup all those years ago.

So if the stadium has such character, why is it one of the worst? Well, this boils down to the look and the location. The location is a major issue with it being in a suburban area and not being as close to Boston as it has been listed. Listing this as Boston is like the latest football odds from Boylesports having the USMNT as favorites for our World Cup, it isn’t right. Also, they use artificial playing surfaces which isn’t a good enough standard for this tournament.

MetLife Stadium – New Jersey

The Giants and the New York Jets both play tier games here which already makes it an iconic stadium in the US but when it comes to the stadium itself and not the teams who play there, it lacks a lot. The MetLife is one of the luckiest stadiums in the world because it has a view of the most iconic skyline in the world, the New York skyline. However, it does not utilize this or the view of the Hudson and instead opts to be a big bowl with no personality and no real character.

The Best

Luckily, even the worst US stadiums are nice, so the best are some of the world’s best. The first example is not actually in the US, but it is in North America:

Estadio Azteca – Mexico City

One of the most iconic stadiums in all of soccer, not just in the US, the Estadio Azteca has hosted two World Cup finals in the nearly 60 years since its opening. Not only has it had the two finals but it also had some of the best moments in football history, ‘the Hand Of God’, ‘the Game of the Century‘ and more have happened here. I hope that when the final is played it is played here, in one of the most iconic stadiums in all of sport.

Hard Rock Stadium – Florida

Now, although I think the Estadio Azteca is the best stadium here, that doesn’t mean I don’t love the Hard Rock Stadium. When it comes to a modern stadium, the Hard Rock Stadium has everything you need, a good location, modern amenities, a wider pitch for soccer games, a roof to protect its players and fans from all types of weather and it looks incredible.

When I think of iconic European stadiums, I think of the likes of San Siro and Camp Nou and the Hard Rock Stadium fits the bill for this type of stadium and is my favorite on the list.