Football stadiums are ever-evolving venues. From Goodison Park, the first major football stadium built in England, which had two uncovered stands for 4,000 people and a covered stand for 3,000 people, to today’s largest sports venue in the country, the Wembley Stadium, which can host up to 90,000 people. Today’s stadiums offer comfort, catering facilities and an atmosphere like no other.
All of these amenities enhance your experience and make your visit even more enjoyable. However, with the unpredictable weather, you never know what to expect when visiting. Today we are sharing a list of stadiums that feature retractable roofs, so you can cheer for your team, no matter the weather.
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium’s retractable roof does not cover the pitch to allow for the playing surface to receive maximum sunlight. Image by stevecadman
Location: London, England
Capacity: 90,000
Type of retractable roof: partial retractable roof
This multi-purpose stadium is one of the most famous stadiums in the world. It welcomes more than 2 million visitors per year. Wembley Stadium is home to a variety of British sports teams, including the England national football team, as well as major sporting events, such as FA Cup Final and Semi Finals, The Football League Play Off Finals, The Football League Cup Final and more.
Johan Cruyff Arena
Amsterdam Arena. Image by RNW.org
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Capacity: 55,500
Type of retractable roof: fully retractable roof
Previously known as the Amsterdam Arena, the Johan Cruyff Arena is the main and largest stadium in the Netherlands. This stadium hosted the 1998 UEFA Champions League Final, 2013 UEFA Europa League Final and many other major sporting events. The stadium was recently officially renamed in honour of Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff who passed away in 2016.
Stadion Narodowy
The roof of the stadium can be closed in 17 minutes. Image by Arne Müseler
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Capacity: 55,000
Type of retractable roof: fully retractable roof, partially transparent
The Stadion Narodowy, known as PGE Narodowy im. Kazimierza Górskiego for sponsorship reasons, is the home stadium of the Poland national football team. This is the largest association football stadium in Poland and hosted the semifinal of the UEFA Euro 2012 and the final of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League.
Veltins Arena
Image by Arne Müseler
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Capacity: 62,271
Type of retractable roof: fully retractable roof
The Veltins-Arena features a Teflon-coated fibreglass canvas retractable roof, which spans the entire stadium.
The Veltins Arena, also known as Arena AufSchalke, is a football stadium located in the 11th largest city of Germany, Gelsenkirchen. This stadium hosted a variety of big sporting events, including the final of the 2004 UEFA Champions League and five matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Arena Națională
The roof of the stadium offers a retractable surface area of 9,000 m². Image by lraul06
Location: Bucharest, Romania
Capacity: 55,634
Type of retractable roof: fully retractable roof
This stadium opened in 2011 to replace the original National Stadium “Lia Manoliu”, built in 1953. The Arena Națională hosts a variety of major football events, including the 2012 UEFA Europa League Final and hosted some matches of the UEFA Euro 2020. This stadium also hosts home matches of the Romania national football team and more.
