🏟️ R$185 billion: Vietnam to build world’s biggest stadium

Vietnam has embarked on a monumental project to build a stadium designed to be the largest in the world.

With a pharaonic budget of 925 trillion dongs (approximately R$ 185 billion) and delivery scheduled for August 2028, the Trong Dong Stadium will have a capacity for 135,000 spectators, surpassing the current record holder, the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium (North Korea, 114,000 seats), and the future Hassan II Stadium (Morocco, 115,000).

Project Details

Cultural Design: The stadium’s architecture is inspired by the Dong Son bronze drum, a sacred artifact symbolizing the ancient Vietnamese civilization, representing strength, longevity, and community spirit.
Megastructure: Located in a 9,000-hectare complex (90 million m²), the stadium will feature a retractable roof and will be a multipurpose arena for sports, concerts, and festivals.
Inspiration: The project draws references from icons like Wembley (England) and the Bird’s Nest (China).

Top 10 Largest Stadiums in Brazil 🇧🇷

Based on the official capacity recognized by the CBF (CNEF); numbers may vary according to the criteria used

. Maracanã (Rio de Janeiro): With an official capacity of 78,838 spectators, the Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho remains the largest in the country. Host of two World Cup finals, the «Maraca» is the heart of Carioca football and frequently hosts the continental finals of Conmebol.

. Mané Garrincha (Brasília): The giant of the federal capital has a capacity for 72,788 people. Although it does not have a local mass club in the first division, the stadium sustains itself as a fundamental multipurpose arena for major international concerts and club games from the Rio-SP axis that sell the home advantage.

. Morumbi (São Paulo): The home of São Paulo FC has an official capacity for football matches of 66,795 fans. It is important to note that in configurations for large music concerts, this capacity easily exceeds 80,000 seats, making it the largest private venue in Brazil.

. Arena Castelão (Fortaleza): With 63,903 seats, the Estádio Governador Plácido Castelo is the largest in the Northeast in full operation. Unlike other 2014 World Cup arenas, Castelão maintains high attendance averages thanks to the strength of Ceará and Fortaleza fans.

. Mineirão (Belo Horizonte): The «Gigante da Pampulha» has a current capacity of 61,846 spectators. The stadium underwent a technical reduction during modernization for the 2014 World Cup (previously accommodating more than 100,000), but gained in comfort and corporate infrastructure.

. Arruda (Recife): The Santa Cruz Stadium has a physical structure for 60,044 people. However, precision requires a caveat: the Fire Department often restricts the maximum ticket load (usually around 40,000 to 50,000) for safety and maintenance of specific sections of the stands.

. Arena do Grêmio (Porto Alegre): The modern home of the Tricolor Gaúcho has an official operational capacity of 55,662 seats. Although the architectural design allows for slightly higher occupancy (up to 60,540), the current safety configuration sets the operational limit at around 55,000.

. Mangueirão (Belém): After the major renovation delivered in 2023, the Estádio Olímpico do Pará definitively entered the top 10, with a capacity for 53,645 fans. The modernization brought the stadium to FIFA standards, maintaining the «cauldron» atmosphere characteristic of Pará football.

. Parque do Sabiá (Uberlândia): The Municipal Stadium Parque do Sabiá is the largest in the interior of Brazil, with a capacity for 53,350 people. Although it is currently little used in elite national games, its structure remains imposing and preserved.

. Beira-Rio (Porto Alegre): The stadium of Internacional closes the list of the ten largest with 50,942 seats. The renovation for the 2014 World Cup modernized the entire complex, which surpasses by a small margin the Neo Química Arena (SP) and Arena Fonte Nova (BA).

🇪🇺 Top 10 Largest Stadiums in Europe

Considering only football stadiums (excluding exclusive Rugby arenas and the Gaelic Athletic Association); numbers may vary according to the criteria used

. Camp Nou (Barcelona): The «Spotify Camp Nou» project foresees about 105,000 seats. In February 2026, it is important to note that the stadium is in the final phase of construction; although the physical structure is the largest on the continent, the released capacity may be partial during the completion of the works, but the final design places it isolated at the top.

. Wembley (London): With 90,000 seats, it is the largest fully operational and covered stadium in Europe. It is the home of the English national team and the sacred stage of the FA Cup finals, not belonging to any specific club.

. Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid): After the recently completed pharaonic renovation, the home of Real Madrid reached a capacity of 83,186 spectators. The stadium now features a retractable roof and a hypogeum (underground) turf system, being one of the most technological arenas in the world.

. Signal Iduna Park (Dortmund): The Borussia Dortmund stadium accommodates 81,365 fans in Bundesliga games, thanks to the famous «Yellow Wall» (standing section). For UEFA international games (where everyone must be seated), the capacity drastically drops to around 66,000.

. Stade de France (Paris): Located in Saint-Denis, it has a capacity for 81,338 people. It is the national stadium of France, stage of the 1998 World Cup final and the main venue for the 2024 Olympic Games.

. Luzhniki (Moscow): With 81,000 seats, it was the stage of the 2018 World Cup final. Although Russia is politically isolated from European football (UEFA) at some recent moments, geographically the stadium is one of the largest on the continent.

. Atatürk (Istanbul): The Atatürk Olympic Stadium accommodates 77,563 spectators. It is the largest arena in Turkey and gained recent prominence by hosting the 2023 Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

. San Siro / Giuseppe Meazza (Milan): The iconic stadium shared by Milan and Inter has 75,817 seats. The capacity was once over 80,000, but safety adaptations and fan separation zones have reduced the official number in recent years.

. Allianz Arena (Munich): The home of Bayern Munich has a capacity for 75,024 spectators in national games. As in Dortmund, the capacity is reduced for international competitions (approximately 70,000) due to the conversion of standing areas to seats.

. Old Trafford (Manchester): The «Theatre of Dreams» of Manchester United closes the top 10 with 74,310 seats. It is the largest private club stadium in England, although there are constant plans and discussions about its renovation or reconstruction.

Featured photo: Official site Trong Dong Stadium

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.