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The 15 Most Expensive World Cup Stadiums Of The 21st Century

The dawning of the 21st century saw a massive shift with regards to FIFA World Cup stadia. For example, when West Germany hosted the 1974 World Cup, the majority of the matches were played in existing stadiums built for a variety of purposes. They all had running tracks and were built in the 30s and nobody cared. 

By the time the 2006 World Cup brought the event back to Germany, the game had changed. A collection of UEFA 5-star stadiums were used to host the Coca-Cola executives, global bureaucrats and Sepp Blatter. You now had to spend to receive, as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar so poignantly shows.

Alas, the following rankings of the most expensive World Cup stadiums do not include Qatar — we know the Lusail Iconic Stadium will cost an estimated $45 billion, but that’s because the stadium is actually just part of an entire city being built for the event. Nice. 

Excluding Qatar, here are the most expensive World Cup stadia of the 21st century.     

The Most Expensive World Cup Stadiums

#15. Saitama Stadium - $360 million | Saitama, Japan
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#14. Olympiastadion Berlin - $365 million | Berlin, Germany
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#13. Cosmos Arena - $370 million | Samara, Russia
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#12. Sapporo Dome - $426 million | Sapporo, Japan
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#11. Arena Corinthians - $435 million | Sao Paulo, Brazil
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#10. FNB Stadium - $440 million | Johannesburg, South Africa
Most expensive World Cup Stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup Stadiums

#9. Moses Mabhida Stadium - $450 million | Durban, South Africa
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#8. Kazan Arena - $450 million | Kazan, Russia
Most expensive World Cup Stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup Stadiums

#7. Allianz Arena - $522 million | Munich, Germany
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#6. Green Point Stadium - $600 million | Cape Town, South Africa
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#5. Nissan Stadium - $621 million | Yokohama, Japan
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#4. Maracana Stadium - $629 million | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#3. Fisht Olympic Stadium - $779 million | Sochi, Russia
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#2. Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha - $900 million | Brasilia, Brazil
Most expensive World Cup stadiums
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Most expensive World Cup stadiums

#1. Krestovsky Stadium - $1.5 billion | Saint Petersburg, Russia
Most expensive world cup stadiums
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Most expensive world cup stadiums

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