Sorry baseball fans, but the NFL is America’s most popular professional sport! And, no, it is not Tom Brady’s fault.
The National Football League format is more amenable for TV and involves much more action than baseball, basketball, and soccer. Every sport is fun to watch, but the NFL remains the number 1 spectator sport in the country and is now even getting true recognition in Europe.
With such a huge fan base, NFL teams must have large stadiums that can fit their fans. People from every state are snatching up tickets to witness their favorite team compete. NFL stadiums currently can fit between 60,000 to 82,500 people.
What are the largest NFL stadiums? To get an insight into the NFL’s stadium capacity, keep reading!
NFL Stadium Capacity
When it comes to stadiums and their capacity, people always assume that the newest ones have the biggest capacity. That’s just not the case. In the NFL, the newer stadiums are in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, barely making the top 10 list regarding capacity.
The largest NFL stadiums can fit more than 80,000 people. However, what’s written on paper, doesn’t translate well on the stands. Many fans like to cheer for their favorite team even if they are screaming from the corner, and the last thing they think about is sitting down.
Remember that all the stats we will discuss while raking the stadiums by capacity don’t always tell the complete picture. For example, the AT&T stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, can hold more than 100,000 fans if 20,000 are standing up.
Despite being the number 1 professional sport in the country, the NFL stadiums don’t come close to college football stadiums.
The stadium of Michigan has 107,601 seats. The biggest NFL stadium falls short of 30,000 seats when compared to that.
So, what are the largest NFL stadiums, and which are the smallest? Here is a full list of the stadiums ranked by capacity.
Biggest NFL Stadiums
| NFL Stadium | Home Team | Seating Capacity | Location | Opening Year |
| MetLife Stadium | New York Giants & New York Jets | 82,500 | MetLife Stadium | 2010 |
| FedEx Field | Washington Commanders | 82,000 | FedEx Field | 1997 |
| Lambeau Field | Green Bay Packers | 81,441 | Lambeau Field | 1957 |
| AT&T Stadium | Dallas Cowboys | 80,000 | AT&T Stadium | 2009 |
| GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City Chiefs | 76,416 | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | 1972 |
| Empower Field at Mile High | Denver Broncos | 76,126 | Empower Field at Mile High | 2001 |
| Bank Of America Stadium | Carolina Panthers | 75,523 | Bank of America Stadium | 1996 |
| Caesars Superdome | New Orleans Saints | 73,208 | Caesars Superdome | 1975 |
| NRG Stadium | Houston Texans | 72,200 | NRG Stadium | 2002 |
| Highmark Stadium | Buffalo Bills | 71,600 | Highmark Stadium | 1973 |
What is the largest NFL stadium?
Regarding seating capacity, the New York Giants and Jets home is the largest stadium. The MetLife Stadium has 82,500 seats and is a venue for many different purposes, not just football.
Besides football, this field hosts many tournaments and major sporting events. Most recently, the Copa America Centenario, a soccer tournament, was played in this arena.
Additionally, MetLife Stadium is expected to hold a couple of games during the 2026 World Cup. On top of that, the stadium is shared by two teams.
In 2010, the MetLife Stadium replaced the Giants stadium and has hosted more than 3,000 events since then. The arena is the largest in the league, from Super Bowl XLVIII to WrestleMania. The total area is about 2 million square feet, and it has
- 82,500 seats available for football and soccer fans
- 50,000 seats available for concerts
- 218 suites located on four different levels
- 10,000 club seats
- Four locker rooms
- Fifteen parking zones with more than 28,000 parking spaces.
Smallest NFL Stadiums
| NFL Stadium | Home Team | Seating Capacity | Location | Opening Year |
| Soldier Field | Chicago Bears | 61,500 | Soldier Field | 1924 |
| State Farm Stadium | Arizona Cardinals | 63,500 | State Farm Stadium | 2006 |
| Allegiant Stadium | Las Vegas Raiders | 65,000 | Allegiant Stadium | 2020 |
| Ford Field | Detroit Lions | 65,000 | Ford Field | 2002 |
| Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Dolphins | 65,326 | Hard Rock Stadium | 1987 |
| Paul Brown Stadium | Cincinnati Bengals | 65,515 | Paycor Stadium | 2000 |
| Raymond James Stadium | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 65,890 | Raymond James Stadium | 1998 |
| U.S. Bank Stadium | Minnesota Vikings | 66,655 | U.S. Bank Stadium | 2016 |
| Gillette Stadium | New England Patriots | 66,829 | Gillette Stadium | 2002 |
| Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis Colts | 67,000 | Lucas Oil Stadium | 2008 |
What is the smallest NFL stadium?
Even though all the NFL stadiums are large and can hold more than 60,000 people, the smallest official arena is Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears. Their stadium has a capacity of 61,500 people, and the Soldier Field is currently the smallest arena in the country.
This is a bit ironic because, despite not winning a Super Bowl since 1986, the Chicago Bears are considered to be the greatest team in the history of the NFL.
The Bears’ lineup in 1985 was Jim McMahon, Walter Payton, Jimbo Cover, Jay Hilgenberg, Dan Hampton, Richard Dent, Otis Wilson, and Mike Singletary, amongst other strong players. The Green Bay Packers broke their record for most wins in league history.
Back in the day, when the Bears were unstoppable, Soldier Field could seat up even 72,300 fans. There were many decks and balconies inside on which people could sit and follow the games. Sometimes, Soldier Field held even 100,000 spectators. However, after the renovation in the late 80s, the capacity diminished to 67,000.
NFL Stadiums – Renovations and Expanding The Capacity
Currently, there are 30 stadiums hosting 32 teams in the NFL. In addition to the MetLife Stadium being the home of two teams, the Jets and the Giants, the SoFi stadium in Inglewood is also the home of two teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.
The SoFi Stadium can hold up to 70,000 people and falls somewhere in the middle regarding seating capacity.
Nevertheless, the stadium is expendable for music concerts and other events. It can fit even 100,000 people. Only some NFL arenas that can expand to that number are designed with multi-purpose features. The SoFi Stadium is one of the most popular destinations for entertainment in the entire city of Los Angeles.
The seating capacity in the NFL ranges from 80,000 to 60,000; however, many teams renovate their stadiums and expand the seating capacity. For example, the Raymond James Stadium, known for its pirate ship and the home of Tampa Bay Bucs, just got a fresh new upgrade in 2023.
The arena’s renovation cost 270 million and expanded the seating capacity from 69,000 to 75,000. The power of Tom Brady, right?
Summary
There you have it, a full list of the largest NFL stadiums ranked by capacity. In addition, we have also ranked the smallest NFL stadiums. Some arenas are designed for many different purposes, not just football, and their seating capacity can easily expand by 15,000 to 20,000 seats.
The stadiums are a major part of the heritage that teams leave behind and will go down in NFL history.
James is a big time NBA Golden State follower, who makes sure to catch games when he's in the area. He likes to follow International Soccer, with an interest in small town soccer club, Blackburn Rovers located in the North on the UK.