Football in India is a growing in India and there are some football stadiums in the list when you chalk-up some of the largest stadium in india. There has been much investment in the game by the Indian government as India looks to be get back their footing in the sport.
Football is the most played sport around the world, however in India, it is actually cricket which is the most dominant sport in the country. The Indian cricket team have made the country proud with their performance in the world stage.
But the same can't be said for the Indian football team, who are currently ranked 106 as of writing this article. The Blue Tigers have failed to show their quality in the Asian Cup and has never ever played in the FIFA World Cup.
But, since the inception of the Indian Super League (ISL), there has been some of change noticed in the Indian football. More young talents are coming through as the ISL looks to develop itself as one of the best football league in Asia.
The Largest Stadium in India: 10 Largest Football Stadiums in India
There has been change in the football structure as well, especially stadiums. There are some football stadiums in India that is among the largest stadium in india. Today in this article, we will take a look at Top 10 largest football stadium in india.
10) Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati
Football in NorthEast part of India is a very popular sport and there belongs India's 10th high capacity stadium Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, which is also known as the Sarusajai stadium.
The stadium was built in memory of India's 3rd Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi that was first opened in the year 2007. The stadium is being used by Indian Super League side NorthEast United FC for their home game. The capacity of the stadium was 32,844 but was later reduced to 25,000 capacity after the bucket seats were installed for the 2017 U17 FIFA World Cup.
9) Khuman Lampak Stadium, Imphal
Northeast India has some really good football stadiums and the Khuman Lampak Stadium is one of them that is located in Imphal, Manipur. It is a mult-use stadium for the athletics and football. The stadium was first opened in the year 1999 and currently is the host of the two local sides, Tiddim Road Athletic Union (TRAU FC) and NEROCA FC, playing in the I-League.
It is a one tier stadium that is based in the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex. It has a total capacity of 35,285. The match between the hosts NEROCA FC vs Indian Arrows in the I-League 2017-2018 season was a sell out and is the record attendence of the stadium.
8) Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Kollam
Established in the year 1988, the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Kollam, Kerala is the 8th highest capacity football stadium in India. The stadium was though first opened in the 1966 and it is owned and operated by the Corporation of Kollam.
The 40,000 capacity stadium is a multi-purpose stadium as cricket, football rugby and athletics can be played on this ground. The stadium has never played host to a football club but there has been multiple occasions when Ranji Trophy matches and the Santosh Trophy matches have been played here.
7) Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri
Football in West Bengal is one of the most popular sport in the state among the various kind of sports that is played the locals of the state. While there are multiple football stadiums in Kolkata, state's capital city, when we move towards north, Siliguri's Kanchenjunga Stadium is a notable one.
The Kanchenjunga Stadium is one of the largest stadium in india when it comes to football. The stadium can hold a capacity of 40,000 and it has played host to India's biggest clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the past. Various other sports are played in this stadium, including cricket.
6) Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
The next stadium in our list is the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, also known as the Marina Arena, which hosts the Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC. It is also a multi-purpose stadium with various sports that is played in this stadium other than football.
The stadium was first opened in the year 1993. Before that, during the 1956 to 1965, the stadium use to host some cricket matches as well. Nowadays though, it is mostly use for football purposes by the Chennaiyin FC. It is a 40,000 capacity stadium with a seating capacity of 36,000.
5) Birsa Munda Football Stadium, Ranchi
Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand, holds the 5th largest football stadium in India, and it is not the TATA Sports Complex, the home stadium of Indian Super League club Jamshedpur FC, owned by TATA. But it is actually the Birsa Munda Football Stadium that has made the list.
At 40,000 capacity, opened in the year 2009, the Birsa Munda Football Stadium is not used much by any known club. It is also a multi-purpose stadium with Athletics also played on this very same venue. It hosts some Khelo India games too.
4) EMS Stadium, Kozhikode
The next stadium in our list is the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode. It is also a multi-purpose stadium just like the other stadium and it was built in the year 1977. The stadium is actually named after the first Chief Minister of Kerala, E.M.S Namboodiripad.
The stadium can hold a capacity of 50,000 and plays host to the I-League like Gokulam Kerala FC. Santosh Trophy matches and local league matches are also held at this very same venue.
3) Jawaharlal Nehru Commonwealth Stadium, New Delhi
The Jawaharlal Nehru Commonwealth Stadium in New Delhi makes this list at number 3. The stadium that has a capacity of 60,254, use to play host to former Indian Super League club, the Delhi Dynamos between 2014 till 2019 when the team decided to move its base to Odisha, now known as the Odisha FC.
The stadium is a FIFA Standard stadium and was used to host some of the matches of the U17 FIFA World Cup 2017 that was hosted by India. The stadium is owned by the Sports Authority of India. It has hosted some memorable events such as the 1989 Asian Championships in Athletics, Commonwealth Games in 2010. Cricket matches have also been played at this venue in the past.
2) Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kochi
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi, Kerala is the home stadium of the Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters FC. The stadium has a capacity of 41,000 but has been limited to about 40,000 capacity for the Indian Super League matches of the Kerala Blasters FC.
The stadium was opened in the year 1996 and it is owned and operated by Greater Cochin Development Authority. The stadium is actually able to host about 80,000 capacity but was reduced by the FIFA, that's why it is placed 2nd in our list.
1) Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
And at the top of the pile is Kolkata's very famous Salt Lake Stadium, also known as the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. The stadium is the biggest football stadium in India that host 85,000 crowd capacity currently. It was actually one of the largest football stadium in the world before its renovation in the year 2011. Previously it was able to host 120,000 capacity.
The stadium plays hosts to ATK Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting Club (occasionally) and various important matches organised by the Indian Football Association (IFA). It also hosts the Kolkata derby between the three biggest team of the country, the above mentioned 3 teams. The Indian football team also plays on this venue. It was also used for FIFA U17 World Cup 2017 and it was also the venue for Final match of the tournament.
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