Anfield crowned stadium fans most want to visit in England

It seems the home of the reigning Premier League champions is at the top of many fans' bucket lists!

OLBG took on the research ahead of the new football seasons kicking off, and it seems the home of the reigning Premier League champions is at the top of many fans' bucket lists!

Barcelona’s Camp Nou topped the poll of stadiums worldwide, according to the 2,000 football fans who took part in the survey.

With an approximate capacity of over 99,000, the stage of the La Liga champions is the most sought-after venue outside the UK to watch a match, while Real Madrid's Bernabéu came second.

The San Siro ranked third on the list, reigning supreme in Italy, beating out rivals Juventis whose 41,000+ seater stadium came 16th in the top 20 list.

Another win for the Reds, as Anfield ranked 4th in the list of worldwide stadiums fans would like to visit, the highest of all English grounds.

OLBG has also made an interactive map so you can clearly see the 10 most sought-after stadiums.

Jake Ashton, football editor for OLBG commented: “Football stadiums are becoming more impressive, and across the globe they offer very different experiences.

“It’s great to see the two Spanish giants go head-to-head again, with Barcelona this time pipping Real Madrid to the top spot.

“The variety and pull for fans to travel and see the beautiful game played out in different grounds looks as strong as ever, based on the number of pitches on people’s bucket lists.

“With Anfield making the top four, it also shows the UK isn’t being left behind when it comes to iconic stadiums in world football.”

Further down the list were some more English stadiums, with Wembley in sixth, Manchester United’s Old Trafford ranked seventh, and their rivals just six miles away at the Etihad in ninth.

Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium which holds approximately 60,000 supporters, rounded off the top 10.

When asked about the most important factors to create a great stadium, excellent views of the pitch and comfortable seating topped the list.

Additionally, half also mentioned atmosphere and crowd noise.

In what may not come as a surprise, when fans were asked to rank grounds purely on matchday atmosphere, Anfield topped the list, followed by the Camp Nou and the Santiago Bernabéu.

Half of those respondents attributed the buzz in the grounds to the passion of the home fans, while others cited the quality of football and near-capacity crowds as key contributors.

Over a third (38 per cent) of supporters also admitted to backing a team outside the UK, with 85% of them saying it’s a dream to one day watch a game at their chosen ground.

Jake Ashton added: “When it comes to football stadiums, the design, location and the team playing there are all key to their popularity.

“But a ground is nothing, it seems, without the fans who flock there week in, week out.

“At stadiums like Anfield here in the UK, and others across Europe and South America, that passion is plain to see — even for those who haven’t experienced it first-hand.”

You can see the full ranking below:

TOP 20 FOOTBALL STADIUMS FANS WOULD LOVE TO VISIT

1. Camp Nou – FC Barcelona 19%
2. Santiago Bernabéu – Real Madrid 18%
3. San Siro – AC Milan, Inter Milan 10%
4. Anfield – Liverpool 9%
5. Allianz Arena – Bayern Munich 9%
6. Wembley Stadium – England National Team 8%
7. Old Trafford – Manchester United 8%
8. Parc des Princes – Paris Saint-Germain 7%
9. The Etihad Stadium – Manchester City 6%
10. The Emirates Stadium - Arsenal 5%
11. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Tottenham Hotspur 5%
12. Maracanã – Flamengo, Fluminense, Brazil National Team 5%
13. Signal Iduna Park – Borussia Dortmund 4%
14. St James’ Park – Newcastle United 4%
15. Stade de France – France National Team 4%
16. Allianz Stadium – Juventus 4%
17. Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta United (USA) 3%
18. Wanda Metropolitano – Atlético Madrid 3%
19. Lusail Stadium – Qatar 3%
20. La Bombonera – Boca Juniors 3%