Since the first edition almost 100 years ago in 1930, the FIFA World Cup has grown to become the biggest sporting event in the world. Every four years, teams from across the globe compete for the chance to be crowned world champions.

Each tournament held since the inaugural edition in Montevideo, Uruguay features a final venue that is used to host the contest between the best two teams at each year’s tournament. These venues are often the setting of some the greatest moments in football and sporting history.

From 1978 to 1994, the World Cup was hosted in five different countries across three continents. The 1986 edition was the first time the final was held at the same venue for a second time.

1978 – Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The stadium was built in 1938 as the new home ground of Argentinian club team River Plate. The stadium featured a horseshoe-shaped seating bowl for much of its early existence with the current two-level, circular design not completed until Argentina was awarded the right to host the World Cup in 1978

The stadium hosted nine matches at the 1978 World Cup including the final match and the third placed play-off. The final saw Argentina win their first title, defeating the Netherlands 3-1 in front of a home crowd of 71,483.

During recent renovations in 2020, the stadium’s running track was removed increasing the overall capacity to 86,049 making it the largest stadium in South America. The stadium is also a popular venue for live concerts, regularly featuring as part of most large-scale concert tours of South

1982 – Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain

One of the most famous stadiums in the world and home ground of Spanish club team Real Madrid since its construction in 1947. The stadium carries the name of Santiago Bernabéu, former Real Madrid president and one of the main figureheads behind the construction of the ground.

At the 1982 edition of the World Cup, the stadium hosted three group games, and the final match between Italy and West Germany. The Italians would go on to win their third title, a 3-1 win in front of 90,000 spectators.

Significant renovations took place at the stadium beginning in 2020 which included the addition of a retractable roof, 360-degree video board and an impressive retractable pitch. Unfortunately, the exterior of the stadium was covered in an uninspired, stainless-steel façade which has stripped the historic stadium of much of its character.

1986 – Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico

Opened in 1966, the Estadio Azteca, with its capacity of 87,523, is the largest football stadium in Latin America and the eighth largest in the world.The stadium would become the first stadium to host the final match of the tournament for a second time in 1986.

Nine matches were played at the stadium during the 1986 World Cup including the final between Argentina and West Germany. In the final match, Argentina defeated West Germany 3-2 winning the tournament for a second time.

The stadium is expected to host five matches at the upcoming 2026 World Cup, including the opening match, making it the only stadium in the world to have hosted matches at three different FIFA World Cups: 1970, 1986 and 2026.

1990 – Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy

The stadium opened in its current form in 1953 as the Stadio dei Centomila due its expected capacity of 100,000. After hosting the Summer Olympics in 1960, the stadium would take on its current, and more familiar name, primarily serving as venue for football. Prior to the 1990 World Cup, significant renovations to the stadium included the addition of fiberglass roof suspended by an outer ring over the original stadium structure.

At the 1990 World Cup, the stadium hosted six matches, including the final match of the tournament. The final saw Argentina take on West Germany, a 1-0 win for the Germans in front of a crowd of 73,603.

The stadium is still a popular venue for football and has been the home ground of two of Italian football’s biggest teams, S.S. Lazio and A.S. Roma, since 1953. The stadium has also hosted matches at three European Championships, four Champions League Finals as well as hosting most of the Italian national team’s home games.

1994 – Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States

The Rose Bowl is stadium located in Pasadena, 16km northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Opened in 1922, the stadium was built to host the annual college football Rose Bowl game. Due to its association with this popular game, the stadium has become one of the United States’ most popular sporting venues earning it a designation as a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987.

The stadium hosted eight matches at the 1994 World Cup including the final match and the third placed play-off. In the final, Brazil would win their fourth title, defeating Italy 0-0 (3-2) on penalties in front of a crowd of 94,194.

The stadium has been the home ground of the UCLA Bruins college football team since 1982 as well hosting five Super Bowls, the third most out of any stadium in the United States. The stadium is still used for football, regularly hosting matches for both the United States and Mexican national football teams, international club friendlies and El Tráfico, the derby between Los Angeles’ two MLS club team.