SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles: Highest tech
Opened in 2020 to rave reviews from LA Chargers and LA Rams fans, the $6 billion SoFi Stadium, just 4.5 miles from downtown LA, faced two unique challenges to its construction: the arena is 500 yards from an active earthquake fault and directly below two major flight paths. A freestanding floating roof and a giant moat surrounding the playing field keep it seismically safe, while 100 feet of the structure was sunk underground so that it is literally under the flight radar. SoFi’s high-tech bells and whistles include its 70,000 square foot infinity screen which wraps around the entire field, an LED roof displaying images and videos to passengers in planes above flying into LAX and a massive scoreboard that requires a full-time staff of 80 to operate it. With three sides, SoFi’s open curved shell design lets ocean breezes flow through the seating bowl, cooling the spectators.
1001 S. Stadium Drive, Inglewood, CA 90301; sofistadium.com
AT&T Stadium, Dallas: Biggest fanbase
The AT&T Stadium, affectionately referred to as “Jerry’s World” after the charismatic Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and the “Death Star” for how it looks, ranks highest in fan loyalty with a count of 8.5 million around the world. Average NFL home-games pack in 93,500 spectators per game. The stadium has a roof that fans insist has a hole in it so that “God can watch his favourite football team”. In fact, Jones intentionally left the retractable roof unable to close fully because the original Cowboys stadium’s roof had a gap, ironically the result of abandoned plans for a retractable roof. Stadium tours include the owner’s experience, on-the-field activities and an unexpected art tour of the Jones’s impressive personal collection of paintings, sculptures and installations.
1 AT&T Way, Arlington, TX 76011; attstadium.com
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta: Best all-rounder
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium wins best all-around prize. It is: the first professional sports arena to be LEED platinum certified with a full-blown carbon-capture eco system; the site of the largest mass-vaccination centre during Covid; proprietor of a Disney-esque immersive Halo screen; and, most incredibly, server of palatable snacks, including rack of ribs and carne asada fries. Adding to the dossier is a dose of celebrity — Kanye was rumoured to have paid $1 million a day to live in the belly of the stadium in a makeshift living space. In deference to Atlanta Falcons fans, a distinctive commitment to an avian theme appears in the form of a massive stainless-steel sculpture of a falcon perched atop a football and a retractable roof featuring a pinwheel that when opened gives the illusion of birds’ wings extended. A 300-level club, with a bird’s-eye view from the top of the stadium is planned to open in anticipation of the World Cup.
1 AMB Drive Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30313; mercedesbenzstadium.com
Azteca Stadium, Mexico City: Most historic
What Azteca lacks in high-tech flair, it more than makes up for in historic importance. Scheduled to host the opening game (and four other matches) in the 2026 World Cup, Azteca will be the only stadium in the world to have hosted three World Cups. To date, 19 Fifa World Cup matches have been played on these hallowed grounds, including two finals —1970 when Brazil defeated Italy 4-1 and 1986 when Argentina defeated West Germany 3-2. Most notably, Azteca was the host of Fifa’s most memorable, and controversial, game in football history — the 1986 quarterfinal match between Argentina and England. In the 51st minute, Diego Maradona scored the infamous “Hand of God” goal and four minutes later, the “Goal of the Century”.
Calz. de Tlalpan 3465, Santa Úrsula Coapa, Coyoacán, 04650; estadioazteca.com.mx
BC Place, Vancouver: Best backdrop
Located in the heart of the city, BC Place’s stunning backdrop of the Vancouver cityscape, the North Shore Mountains and False Creek inlet reaches the sublime on clement days when the largest cable-supported retractable roof in the world opens to reveal over 7,500 square metres of sky. Since BC Place’s public unveiling by Queen Elizabeth II in 1983, the stadium has hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Pope John Paul II’s visit and the 2015 Fifa Women’s World Cup, including the championship final. But perhaps overshadowing these illustrious claims to fame is that Vancouver BC Place is where a young Pamela Anderson was discovered when a cameraman featured her on the stadium’s Jumbotron.
777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6B 4Y8; bcplace.com
MetLife Stadium, New Jersey: Host of the final
Having proven its mettle in hosting past football games, including the Copa América Centenario and Concacaf Gold Cup, MetLife was chosen to host the 2026 World Cup Final in addition to eight other matches. Opened in 2010, originally named the New Meadowlands Stadium, MetLife is one of only two stadiums in the US shared by two NFL teams. An outer skin of aluminium louvers and glass allows for colour changes based on which team is playing – blue for the Giants and green for the Jets. Among MetLife’s Club experiences, the most luxurious is the Green Room with its celebrity chefs, private outdoor viewing decks, massive marble bar with field views and frequent celebrity sightings.
1 MetLife Stadium Drive, East Rutherford, New Jersey, NJ 07073; metlifestadium.com
Jane Moggio is currently a resident of Miami and is working on her first novel, Fed to the Alligators, a humorous account of a New Yorker surviving the wild Miami terrain and its inhabitants
