The Narendra Modi stadium is soon going to lose its status as the largest sports stadium in terms of capacity. According to multiple media reports, Vietnam is coming up with a new sports stadium called Trong Dong, which will have a seating capacity of 1,35,000 people, thus surpassing the Narendra Modi Stadium, which at the moment accommodates 1,32,000 spectators.
The Trong Dong will be built in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital city. The stadium's design is inspired by ancient Đông Sơn drums which were built of bronze and were inherent part of of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Once completed, the stadium will have a retractable roof. The stadium is being built in a way that it blends Vietnam's cultural identity with state of the art facilities. The venue will help Vietnam hold sporting events and also be the site for high-profile social-cultural events too. The stadium is expected to be completed by August 2028.
With the plans of bringing up a mega project like the Trong Dong stadium underway, it is worth to revisit some of the biggest sporting stadiums in the world.
1. Narendra Modi Stadium
The Narendra Modi Stadium is built at the place where the erstwhile Sardar Patel Stadium once stood. The latter was first opened in 1986, but was later reconstructed and changed to the Narendra Modi Stadium. The construction of the Narendra Modi Stadium began in January 2017 and was completed by February 2020. While the seating capacity of Sardar Patel stadium was around 55,000, the Narendra Modi stadium can hold upto 1,32,000 people.
The stadium is primarily a cricket ground but the government aims to use this facility for hosting multiple sports events of the 2030 Commonwealth Games. The stadium was the venue of the 2023 ODI World Cup final and will soon be hosting the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup as well.
Beyond sports, the stadium was used to welcome US President Donald Trump in 2020 and held Coldplay's biggest-ever concert which took place on Jan. 26, 2025 and was attended by over 1.3 lakh spectators.
2. Rungrado 1st of May Stadium
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium was opened on May 1, 1989, and hence given the name. The stadium was built from 1986 to 1989 and is located in Pyongyang, North Korea. The stadium has a capacity of around 1,20,000 people. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is a football stadium but has been used for other athletic events too.
The stadium is designed in form of a magnolia blossom with 16 arches. Some of the most notable events held here are the opening and closing ceremonies of the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students in 1989, Collision in Korea professional wrestling event in 1995, 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Pyongyang. Since Dec. 31, 2022, the stadium is also used to hold the New Year's Eve celebrations in Pyongyang.
3. Michigan Stadium
The Michigan Stadium is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is operated by University of Michigan. The stadium has a capacity of 1,07,601 people. It was first opened in 1927 and has undergone several renovation and expansions since then. It is the largest sports stadium in the United States of America. The venue is used to have National Hockey League matches between Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings, football matches and music concerts. In 2014, the stadium hosted a International Champions Cup football match between Real Madrid and Manchester United. The game was attended by 1,09,318 spectators — a record crowd for a football match in the United States.
4. Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium is located in Pennsylvania and has a capacity of 1,06,304. The stadium is operated by Pennsylvania State University. The stadium was first opened on Sept. 17, 1960, and initially had a capacity of 69,000. Despite this being one of the biggest stadiums in the world, it is primarily used for college football (gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur student-athletes at universities and colleges). It is the home ground of Penn State Nittany Lions football of the Big Ten Conference.
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5. Ohio Stadium
Situated in Columbus, Ohio, the Ohio Stadium is an American football stadium with a capacity of 1,02,780. The stadium, opened up in 1922, is owned and operated by the Ohio State University. It is primarily the home ground of the Ohio State Buckeyes football and doubles up as the university's Spring Commencement ceremonies in every May. The stadium is also popular as 'The Horseshoe' for its horseshoe shape design.
Beyond sports, the stadium has held music concerts of U2, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and Metallica.
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