Building a stadium could be a Herculean task requiring many resources. This also includes the capital needed for the construction.
Smaller clubs do not have the financial power to pursue such projects and such, they sometimes opt to rent or share grounds with other teams. Another reason teams share the same ground is their location, which could be in the same city or locality. Interestingly, Italian teams share the most stadiums in Europe.
To date, some of the biggest football clubs in the world share their stadium with others,
Here are some of the teams around the world that share their stadium.
1. AFC Ajax, Ajax Women and Netherlands Men’s National Team – Johan Cruyff Arena
Dutch football giants Ajax Amsterdam plays its home games at the Johan Cruyff Arena, previously known as the Amsterdam Arena. The Sons of the Gods have occupied the arena since 1996.
The Dutch Men’s National team has also played qualifying matches at the stadium since 1996.
Ajax Women’s team is the newest tenant at the stadium. They began playing there at the start of 2023.
The Johan Cruyff Arena has a seating capacity of 55,865 people. It is the largest stadium in the Netherlands and the reason it has been a preferred choice. Apart from sports, it can be expanded to accommodate music concerts.
2. AC Milan and Inter Milan – San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as San Siro, is one of the most famous stadiums in Europe. It houses AC Milan and Inter Milan, the two city rivals that compete in the Italian Serie A.
The San Siro has a seating capacity of 75,923 but can be expected to be 80,018. It was established in 1926.
The two Milan clubs have a local rivalry known as the Milan derby (Derby della Madonnina), which attracts one of the largest crowds in Europe. This derby has made headlines since it was first established in 1909.
3. Genoa and Sampdoria – Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris (Marassi) is home to two Serie A sides, Genoa and Sampdoria. The stadium was established in 1911, with a seating capacity of 36,599 seats.
Read: Largest football stadiums in Europe
Marassi multi-use stadium is the oldest stadium used for football and other sports in Italy. The Municipality of Genoa owns it.
Genoa and Sampdoria have a strong history playing at this ground.
4. Lazio and AS Roma – Stadio Olimpico
Lazio and AS Roma share the 70,000 spectators Stadio Olimpico in the famous Italian city of Rome. The two clubs began to play their home games at the stadium the year it was established.
Since then, they have shared the ground. Roma and Lazio are in the same city and established a rivalry known as Derby della Capitale (Derby of the capital city), regarded as one of the fiercest intra-city derbies in Italy.
Read: Derby della Capitale: Roma vs Lazio history and top facts
5. Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge – Jan Breydel Stadium
The two teams from the Belgian city of Brugge share the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has existed since 1975. The stadium can accommodate a matchday capacity of 29,062.
The Jan Breydel Stadium was previously known as Olympiastadion. The Bruges city council currently owns it.
Club Brugge is one of the most successful teams in Belgian football. Cercle Brugge, on the other hand, is also successful in their rights. The two sides compete in the Bruges derby, one of the fiercest inter-city rivalries in Belgium.
6. Sweden Men’s National Team and AIK – Nationalarenan
Nationalarenan, or Friends Arena, located in Råstasjön in Solna, is a multi-purpose stadium that serves as the home ground for the Sweden Men’s National team, AIK, competing in the Swedish top flight.
Nationalarenan has a seating capacity of 50,000 spectators and currently doubles as the largest stadium in Sweden and Scandinavia. It was established in 2012 at a construction cost of 300 million euros.
The stadium was constructed to be suitable for concerts and smaller events apart from hosting football matches.
7. Danish Men’s National Team and FC Copenhagen – Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium, located in the Danish capital Copenhagen, is a 38,065 all-seater capacity stadium. It serves as the home ground for the Danish Men’s National team and Copenhagen, which is one of the most successful team in the country.
Parken Stadium was established in 1992 and was built to accommodate other activities like concerts. Its capacity can be expanded to 50,000. It also features a retractable roof.
8. Fotbal Club FCSB and Romanian Men’s National Team – Arena Națională
Arena Națională is the latest football stadium in Romanian, with a seating capacity of 55,634 seats. It is owned by the Municipality of Bucharest and was established in 2011 at an initial construction cost of €234 million.
The stadium is the home ground for Romania’s national football team and Fotbal Club FCSB. It is usually the destination for the Romanian Cup final.
9. Flamengo, Fluminense, and Seleção – Maracanã Stadium
The famous Maracanã Stadium is home to two Brazilian football giants, Flamengo and Fluminense. The two sides rank among Brazil’s most successful teams (sometimes the G12). The Seleção Brasileira de Futebol sometimes adopts it for selected matches.
Read: Biggest football (soccer) clubs in Brazil (The G-12 Rivalry in Série A)
Maracanã is a 78,838-capacity arena that has hosted numerous international football competitions, including the FIFA World Cup and the Copa America. The Rio de Janeiro State Government owns it.
Flamengo and Fluminense maintain a historical rivalry known as Fla–Flu, one of the fiercest cross-town rivalries in Brazilian football.
10. Tottenham Hotspur and NFL
The Tottenham Hotspur New stadium has a seating capacity of 60,000 seats. It is a multi-purpose stadium. It features a synthetic turf field underneath specifically for the NFL London Games.
Designed as a digital Stadium, it is suitable for concerts and other events.
Read: Tottenham Hotspur stadium seating plan
11. Wembley stadium and NFL
Wembley stadium is the home ground for the English Men and Women’s teams, the League Cup, and FA Cup final. However, it is also home to the NFL London Games in autumn.
Wembley has a seating capacity of 90 spectators
Read: Wembley seating plan (stand), capacity, location
Others are
New York Yankees and New York City FC – Yankee stadium
Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders – Century Link stadium