Top 11 Priciest Stadiums Around the World

Newly constructed stadiums are not only massive but also architectural wonders, featuring art installations, dining options, and cutting-edge technology to enhance the spectator experience. Building such structures is no small achievement.

These venues must be spacious enough to host tens of thousands of fans cheering for their favorite sports teams or attending concerts by world-renowned musical acts.

Constructing such facilities requires an enormous financial investment, often reaching billions of dollars.

Which stadiums rank as the most expensive in the world? We’ve compiled a list of 11, based on reported construction costs (not adjusted for inflation) and the remarkable design features that set them apart. Starting at number 11 is the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

AT&T Stadium

AT&T Stadium serves as the home ground for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. Located in Arlington, Texas, this 80,000-seat venue was designed and constructed in 2009 at a cost of $1.2 billion. It features one of the planet's largest HDTV screens and retains the title for the biggest retractable endzone doors globally. The stadium can accommodate 80,000 spectators, with the capacity to expand to 100,000. In December 2022, the NFL greenlit a $295 million renovation plan. A standout feature is the Dallas Cowboys' art collection, showcasing 90 large-scale installations from various artists.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London is hailed as one of the most technologically advanced stadiums globally. It is the home of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and was completed in 2019, with construction costs reportedly reaching 1 million British pounds, as per BBC News and Stadiumdb.com (approximately $1.28 billion at 2019 exchange rates). A groundbreaking feature is its fully retractable grass pitch, enabling a 10-year partnership with the NFL.

Levi's Stadium

Levi's Stadium, located in Santa Clara, California, serves as the home for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and the San Jose Earthquakes of professional soccer. Completed in 2014, the stadium had a construction cost of $1.2 billion, with only $114 million covered by public funds. The remaining amount was privately financed by the NFL and the 49ers. With a seating capacity of 68,500, the stadium achieved LEED Gold Certification for its sustainable design and construction, both as a new build and an existing structure. It features over 400 miles of data cable to support its cutting-edge technology. Additionally, the Art Collection at Levi's Stadium includes more than 200 original artworks and 500 photographs from 23 California-based artists, displayed throughout the venue.

National Stadium

National Stadium, the crown jewel of the Singapore Sports Hub, is accompanied by the Singapore Indoor Stadium and OCBC Arena. With a construction cost of $1.3 billion, it opened in 2014 as the home of the Singapore national soccer team. The venue also hosts rugby, cricket, and other events, accommodating up to 55,000 attendees. Its retractable roof incorporates a cutting-edge lighting system with 20,000 LED lights, doubling as a massive screen visible from both inside and outside. The stadium holds the Guinness World Record for the world's largest freestanding dome.

UBS Arena

UBS Arena, one of the newest additions to our list and the only hockey-specific arena, opened in 2021 in Elmont, New York. It serves as the home for the NHL's New York Islanders, with a construction cost of $1.5 billion. The arena boasts the largest scoreboard in New York state and a design inspired by famous New York City landmarks. Beyond hockey, UBS Arena is engineered for music events, featuring top-tier acoustics and "more restrooms per person than any other arena in Metro New York," as stated on the venue's website.

Wembley Stadium

While American football stadiums dominate this list, the U.K. also makes an appearance with the modern version of Wembley Stadium. With a seating capacity of 90,000, it ranks as the second-largest stadium in Europe and holds the record as the most expensive ever constructed in the U.K., costing $1.57 billion in 2007, as reported by The New York Times. Replacing the original 1923 landmark, it took six years to build and now accommodates 90,000 spectators. It serves as England's national stadium and the heart of English football, or soccer.

MetLife Stadium

MetLife Stadium is the shared home of the NFL's New York Jets and New York Giants. Situated in East Rutherford, New Jersey, this colossal stadium was completed in 2010 at a staggering cost of $1.6 billion. With a capacity of 82,500, it ranks among the largest stadiums in the NFL. Since its opening, it has hosted numerous major events, including Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a 71,000-seat venue, is home to the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta United FC soccer team. Opened in 2017, it stands as the most expensive structure ever constructed in the city's history. Its development, which involved demolishing the Georgia Dome, cost between $1.75 and $1.8 billion, as reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The stadium boasts groundbreaking design features, including an angular roof made of eight 220-foot (67-meter) petals that open and close like a camera aperture at the push of a button. It houses 4,000 miles of fiber-optic cable to support its 2,000 TVs and is the first professional sports venue in the U.S. to achieve LEED Platinum Certification.

Allegiant Stadium

Allegiant Stadium serves as the home for the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels college football team. This impressive 65,000-seat stadium, finished in 2020, is located near the iconic Las Vegas Strip and was constructed at a reported cost of $1.99 billion, coming in under budget, as noted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Designed to handle Nevada's intense heat, the fully enclosed, climate-controlled stadium features a retractable natural turf field for NFL games, an artificial turf surface for UNLV, and breathtaking views of the Las Vegas Strip.

Yankee Stadium

The original Yankee Stadium, constructed in 1923, had a lavish cost of $2.4 million (approximately $42.4 million in 2022 dollars, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI Inflation Calculator). The new Yankee Stadium, with a capacity of 52,000, was completed in 2009 and honors many architectural elements of the original. However, its construction cost soared to over $2.3 billion, as reported by The New York Times and City & State New York. Besides the Yankees, the stadium is also home to Major League Soccer's New York City FC.

SoFi Stadium

While the exact cost of SoFi Stadium in Englewood, California, remains undisclosed, estimates suggest construction expenses reached approximately $5.5 billion, as reported by sources like Bloomberg and Yahoo Sports. This venue, home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, features 70,000 fixed seats, expandable to accommodate 100,000 attendees. A technological and architectural wonder, SoFi utilizes a digital twin to oversee operations. Its transparent roof, coated with a specialized film, filters sunlight, while adjustable panels function like car sunroofs to enhance ventilation. Environmentally advanced, the stadium is surrounded by a landscape with over 5,000 trees and native plants, alongside a rainwater collection system for irrigation. Designed with the Super Bowl in mind, it hosted Super Bowl LVI in 2022 and will stage the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Summer Olympics.