Amsterdam

The Amsterdam ArenA was the first stadium in Europe with a retractable roof. The ArenA is home to AFC Ajax. Currently, the stadium has a capacity of 51,628. A road runs under the pitch, as well as a two-storey car park.
The Amsterdam ArenA hosted the final of the UEFA Champions League in 1998 and two years later one of the semi finals of EURO 2000. Plans are being considered to further expand the Amsterdam ArenA to 65,000 or even 85,000 seats.

Olympisch Stadion
The Olympisch Stadion Amsterdam was built for the 1928 Olympics. Since then the stadium has hosted several large sporting events, including the start of the Tour de France in 1954. Currently there are two expansion options for the Olympisch Stadion which involve little or no changes to the existing stadium. The expansion models can be easily removed after the event, so that the stadium can be restored to its former glory in no time. The stadium will have a seating capacity of maximum 44,000.

Enschede

De Grolsch Veste is the stadium of FC Twente Enschede. In 1998, it was opened as a replacement for the Diekman Stadion. In 2005, the stadium hosted a number of matches of the FIFA World Youth Cup. After the expansion, FC Twente’s De Grolsch Veste became a 24,000 plus-seater stadium. The stadium will be further expanded to accommodate 33,000 spectators. If the HollandBelgium World Cup bid is successful, the number of seats will temporarily be increased to 44,000.

Eindhoven

The Philips Stadium is PSV’s home ground. This beautiful modern stadium is located in the centre of Eindhoven and has been there since the Philips Sport Vereniging (PSV, Philips Sports Association) was founded in 1913. In 2000, the Philips Stadium hosted EURO 2000 matches and in 2006 the UEFA Cup final between Middlesbrough and Seville was held there. Currently, the stadium has a capacity of 35,000 seats, all covered and heated. In 2018, the stadium will be expanded to 44,000 seats.

Heerenveen

In 1994, SC Heerenveen became the first club in the Netherlands since 1980 to build an entirely new stadium. It was named after Abe Lenstra. The stadium’s initial seating capacity of 14,500 was later increased to 26,100. Plans are on the table to rebuild the main stand to meet the demand for season tickets, business seats and office space. The stadium will be expanded to accommodate 32,100 spectators, after which the seating capacity will be temporarily increased to 44,000 for the World Cup.

Rotterdam

De Kuip has been the venue of football club Feyenoord’s biggest successes. The stadium was first used in 1937 and currently has 51,177 seats. Thanks to some big concerts and games, De Kuip has gained national and international fame. The biggest stadium in Rotterdam has hosted eleven European finals. In 2000, France won the European title in De Kuip and in 2002 Feyenoord won the UEFA Cup. After 2018 the old Kuip will no longer be used as a football stadium.

De new Kuip
A stone’s throw from the old Kuip, the New Kuip, an 85,000-seater stadium, will be built by 2018. The stadium will be right next to the New Meuse and will be an amazing eye-catcher for anyone entering the city over the motorway or the water. Spectators in the stadium will be very close to the pitch and in case of bad weather under a closed roof. On completion of the new stadium, both the old and the new Kuip will be used simultaneously for a while.

Brussels

A new national stadium will be built in Brussels, which will not only be the home of the Red Devils, but probably also of Sporting Club Anderlecht.

Two locations are currently shortlisted: if the 2018 or 2022 World Cup is awarded to Belgium and the Netherlands, a new sports arena will be built on the site of the King Baudouin Stadium; if the World Cup is not awarded to the Low Countries, there will be more time and the new national stadium will be built on the site of Schaarbeek Vorming.

The principle of a federal 65,000-seater stadium has been approved by all authorities.

Antwerp

The Flemish government decided that the new football stadium of Antwerp should be built on the Petroleum Zuid site. It will be an arena on the right bank of the Scheldt with a seating capacity of 25,000 and the possibility to expand this by another 20,000 seats in case of a successful Holland/Belgium World Cup bid. When the city council took office, 25 million euros were earmarked for the construction of a stadium. The Antwerp port authorities will make the same amount available.
A possible name for this new stadium is “The Port of Antwerp Stadium” and the city council wants the new football temple to be shared by the two local clubs (FC Antwerp and Germinal Beerschot).

Charleroi

Charleroi needs to build a new stadium for local team Royal Charleroi Sporting Club, because the demolition of the current one has been ordered by the Council of State. The Charleroi city authorities have declared their interest in becoming involved in the 2018 project and want the new stadium to comply with World Cup standards. The new home ground for Sporting Charleroi (the “Zebras”) will probably be near the airport of Charleroi, but a second location is also still on the table. A decision will be made soon.

Liège

Belgian league champions Standard Liège need a larger stadium. For a long time it appeared the club would have to move. The Liège city authorities have identified three sites: Bonne Fortune in Ans, Bièrset and Coronmeuse, along the banks of the Meuse. A new stadium in Coronmeuse would create an opportunity to regenerate an entire neighbourhood and breathe new life into the Liège trade fair complex.

However, recent statements of mayor Demeyer lead us to believe that Standard will stay at Sclessin. The “Rouches” will be able to continue playing in their historic setting, thus safeguarding the club’s identity. At the same time the entire neighbourhood could be regenerated. A decision is expected before the end of November.

Standard is playing a major financial role in this project, along with a number of private investors.

Bruges

Club Brugge wants to build a new multifunctional 40,000-seater stadium in Loppem. However, the Flemish government decided that the new football complex will be built in the Chartreuse area, on the other side of the motorway between Brussels and Ostend. The city of Bruges also wants this to be the new home of Cercle Brugge.

Genk

If Belgium and the Netherlands are awarded the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, the Cristal Arena of Racing Genk will undergo a face-lift. The Limburg-based club and the city council reached an agreement on this a while ago.
Racing Genk is prepared to expand the stadium by adding a third tier of seats to raise the capacity to 45,000. The city of Genk will fully co-operate in developing the infrastructure, e.g. by building extra parking spaces and upgrading access roads.

Ghent

Ghent is furthest with its stadium plans. The foundation stone of a 20,000-seater stadium was laid in 2008 and the actual building work started in September 2009. The new stadium is on the site of the former Groothandelsmarkt, near the R4 and the Zwijnaarde motorway interchange.

The construction of the Artevelde stadium was put on hold at the mayor’s request at the beginning of November. The City of Ghent wants to study the possibilities to expand the arena to a 40,000-seater stadium in order to be able to host World Cup matches.

The Artevelde stadium will not only comply with all comfort and safety requirements, but it will also offer a benchmark in terms of environmentally-friendly construction, boasting rainwater recycling facilities and a self-sufficient energy supply using solar panels.