5 Soccer-Focused Dream Vacations And Travel

There’s nothing wrong with spending your vacation time eating, drinking and seeing the sights. But if you want to make a vacation truly memorable, it’s always a good idea to throw a live event into the mix, and nothing beats going to a match abroad.

It’s a giant party/social event before and after the game and in between you get to watch an enthralling 90 minutes full of skill and drama. While the 2018 and 2022 World Cups are undoubtedly the biggest events on the footballing calendar in the near future, here are five more dream vacations that you could begin planning for now.

2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon | January 12 - February 3, 2019

The 32nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations will be hosted by Cameroon for the first time since 1972. Cameroon will also serve as the defending champions after winning the event in 2017, ensuring a festival-like atmosphere throughout the host nation.

The pressure will be on Cameroon to defend their title. Photo: @Articleableinfo | Twitter

16 teams from the CAF confederation will battle for the title at five confirmed venues, including brand-new facilities in Douala (the 50,000-seat Stade Omnisport de Douala) and in the capital of Yaounde (the 60,000-seat Paul Biya Stadium).

For any world traveler that’s always wanted to visit Africa, this tournament and its setting in Cameroon should give you the final impetus to make it happen. Along with watching the continent’s best footballers for an extremely reasonable price, the host country’s moniker as “Africa in miniature” (the nation boasts beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests and savannas) tells you everything you need to know about the natural beauty you’ll be surrounded by.

The Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon. Photo: @MoreForRaw | Twitter

The official languages of Cameroon are French and English, so you'll also be able to navigate the tournament and country with relative ease.

2019 Copa America in Brazil | June - July, 2019

The 46th edition of the Copa America will keep the 16-team format from the 2016 Copa America Centenario, resulting in six invitees alongside CONMEBOL’s 10 representatives. Brazil haven’t hosted the tournament since 1989, and their last victory came at the 2007 tournament.

You’ll be traveling to Brazil, you’ll get to see the likes of Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil play (as well as likely invitees Mexico and the United States) and it’s the Copa America.

Venues aren’t confirmed, but you can be sure Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana and Brasilia’s Mane Garrincha will be among the venues.

The historic Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: @YesWeCrann | Twitter

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France | June 1-30, 2019

France, for the first time ever, will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup from the June 1-30, 2019. Nine different world-class venues throughout the country will stage matches, and the final will be played at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, the site of Euro 2016’s semifinal between Portugal and Wales and the confirmed site of the 2018 UEFA Europa League Final.

The site of the final in Lyon. Photo: @OL_Turkiye | Twitter

The USWNT will serve as the defending world champions at the tournament, but the likes of France, Germany, England and Sweden will be looking to take advantage of a World Cup on European soil.

The 8th edition of the event will undoubtedly be the strongest yet, and with matches taking place in travel destinations like Paris, Montpellier, Nice and Lyon, this could be the summer vacation of a lifetime.

UEFA Euro 2020: 13 cities, 13 different countries | June - July, 2020

Although deciding to stage Euro 2020 across 13 different cities in 13 different countries was met with its fair share of criticism, the one-off event has given travelers to Europe in the summer of 2020 something to celebrate.

Have you ever wanted to visit England, Germany, Italy, Azerbaijan, Russia, Romania, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Scotland, Denmark or Belgium? Well, visit one of these countries in June/July of 2020 and you could very well arrange seeing a European Championship match as well.

The Baku National Stadium in Azerbaijan. Photo: @berzelius11 | Twitter

The 2020 event, the 16th edition of the tournament, will once again feature 24 teams, and the semifinals and final will be played in London’s Wembley Stadium.

Could England make the final? Lol. Photo: @BonVoyageurs | Twitter

If you’re thinking of doing a European backpacking trip, the summer of 2020 wouldn't be a bad time.

Traveling to see the world's newest stadiums

Over the next few years, the world is going to see some remarkable, state-of-the-art venues open their doors to the public. Over the next five years, here are some of the biggest and most eagerly anticipated stadiums of the future. If you want to be among the first to experience a match at a club's new digs, keep these in mind.

2017

Spain: Wanda Metropolitano - Atletico Madrid