The list of the most expensive stadiums in the world is updated annually. Every year, cities swap out outdated stadiums for more contemporary ones with more revenue-generating potential. Cities and sports franchise owners are drawn to new stadiums because they offer more seats, premium boxes, parking, greater ticket prices, and expensive concessions.
The rankings of the best stadiums are altered by more than just the creation of new structures, though. These buildings’ overall construction costs also rise as a result of extensive modifications. One of the priciest stadiums in the world, Metlife Stadium, will be the subject of this article.
How Much Did It Cost to Build Metlife Stadium?
MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. It opened in 2010, replacing Giants Stadium, and serves as the home for the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). It is also scheduled to host the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Construction and Cost
- Approximate cost: $1.6 billion
- Most expensive stadium built in the United States at the time of completion
Stadium Capacity and Features
- Capacity: 82,500
- Largest stadium in New Jersey
- Largest venue in the NFL
Significant Events
- Hosted Super Bowl XLVIII
- Will host multiple matches during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
- Will host multiple matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including both finals
Historical Context
- One of two NFL stadiums shared by two teams (the other is SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California)
- Fifth building in the New York metropolitan area to be home to multiple teams from the same league:
- Polo Grounds: Home to the baseball Giants and Yankees from 1913 to 1922
- Third Madison Square Garden: Hosted NHL’s Rangers and Americans from 1926 to 1942
- Shea Stadium: Housed both the Mets and Yankees during the 1974 and 1975 seasons
- Giants Stadium: Hosted both the Giants and Jets from 1984 to 2009
Record Attendance
- Any event: 93,000 (12th Siyum HaShas, August 1, 2012)
- Concert: 89,106 (Ed Sheeran +-=÷x Tour, June 11, 2023)
- American football: 83,367 (New York Jets @ New York Giants, October 29, 2023)
- College football: 82,285 (122nd Army Navy Game, December 11, 2021)
- Soccer: 82,262 (Manchester United vs. Arsenal, July 22, 2023)
Stadium Specifications
- Surface:
- UBU Speed S5-M (2010–2022)
- FieldTurf Core HD (2023–present)
- Screens:
- Four 30 ft × 118 ft (9.1 m × 36.0 m) big-screen monitors
- One 360-degree ribbon board display
Construction Details and Total Cost
- Broke ground: September 5, 2007
- Built: 2008–2010
- Opened: April 10, 2010
- Construction cost: $1.6 billion ($2.31 billion in 2024 dollars)
Architects and Contractors
- Architect:
- 360 Architecture
- EwingCole
- Rockwell Group
- Bruce Mau Design, Inc.
- Project manager: Hammes Company Sports Development
- Structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
- General contractor: Skanska
- Main contractors: Structal–Heavy Steel Construction, a division of Canam Group
Previous Names
- New Meadowlands Stadium (2010–2011)
- New York/New Jersey Stadium (2026 FIFA World Cup only)
Location and Access
- Address: 1 MetLife Stadium Drive, East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States
- Public transit:
- Mainline rail interchange: NJ Transit Meadowlands Meadowlands Rail Line
- NJT Bus:
- NJ Transit: 353
- Coach USA: 351
Top 10 Most Expensive Football Stadium in The World
| S No. | Stadium | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yankee Stadium | £1.85 billion |
| 2 | Santiago Bernabeu | £1.45 billion |
| 3 | Camp Nou | £1.43 billion |
| 4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | £1 billion |
| 5 | Singapore National Stadium | £1 billion |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | £1 billion |
| 7 | Wembley Stadium | £1 billion |
| 8 | Olympic Stadium | £1 billion |
| 9 | Estadio Nacional | £600 million |
| 10 | Krestovsky Stadium | £500 million |
Conclusion
In this piece, you learned about how much it cost to build MetLife Stadium, its construction details and total cost, stadium capacity and features, significant events, historical context, record attendance, stadium specifications, architects and contractors, previous names, location and access, and the top 10 most expensive football stadiums in the world.
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