Sports tourism is a rapidly growing travel sector that involves travelling to a destination to watch or participate in sporting activities. According to UNWTO, sports tourism accounts for 10 per cent of the global tourism industry and is worth over £500 billion.
With a summer of football up ahead, many fans are searching for the best football destinations to combine their love of travel with their love for the game. With that being said, we have revealed the top football-cation destinations around the world.
Here’s how we calculated the results:
- Stadium score: For each city, we researched the number of teams playing in that country’s top football league. From there, we used TripAdvisor data to calculate the percentage of “excellent” (five-star) reviews for each stadium. For example, in Rio de Janeiro, four teams play in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. The average stadium score across these four stadiums was used as the final rating.
- Stadium capacity: The average capacity of football stadiums in the city. Cities with larger capacities ranked higher.
- Average summer temperatures: Using data from Weather Spark, we calculated the average summer temperature (July) for each city. Cities with warmer weather ranked higher.
- Number of sports bars: We used TripAdvisor data to calculate the total number of sports bars in each city, so fans can watch the game or socialise before/after a match. Cities with more sports bars ranked higher.
| City | Top football league | Number of teams from city playing in league 2025/26 | Stadium score (average) | Stadium capacity (average) | Average summer temperature (July) | Number of sports bars | Total score (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A | Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama | 56.3 | 56,730 | 26 | 15 | 75 |
| London | Premier League | Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United | 67.9 | 42,676 | 23 | 109 | 70.8 |
| Lisbon | Primeira Liga | Benfica, Casa Bia, Sporting CP | 68.3 | 33,718 | 28 | 8 | 66.7 |
| Madrid | La Liga | Atletico Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid | 52.2 | 39,917 | 33 | 10 | 62.5 |
| Athens | Super League 1 | AEK Athens, Atromitos, Panathinaikos | 55.2 | 18,477 | 32 | 1 | 45.8 |
| Prague | Czech First League | Bohemians 1905, SK Slavia Prague, AC Sparta Prague, FK Dukla Prague | 52.9 | 13,042 | 26 | 7 | 29.2 |
Contents:
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- London, UK
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Madrid, Spain
- Athens, Greece
- Prague, Czech Republic
1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In first place is Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Football is deeply ingrained in the capital’s culture and lifestyle, with major clubs and rivalries such as Botofogo and Flamengo. For football fans visiting this iconic city, you can visit stadiums such as Maracanã and Estádio Nilton Santos.
Footballers who hail from Rio De Janeiro include Ronaldo Nazário, the winner of two Ballon d’Ors and Romário de Souza Faria, who scored over 700 goals for his clubs and country.
2. London, UK
The UK capital, London, is the next best football-cation destination. With many huge teams hailing from the city, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, London is a perfect place to visit if you love football.
London is also home to the world’s oldest football association, The FA, which was founded in 1863 and established the modern rules of the game to distinguish it from rugby. Footballers who come from London include David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and Ian Wright.
3. Lisbon, Portugal
The next best football-cation city is Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon; another destination with a rich football history. The rivalry between Benfica and Sporting CP dates back more than a century, to 1907, when eight players left Benfica to join Sporting CP, starting one of the fiercest rivalries in Europe.
Footballers from Lisbon include Manchester City’s captain, Bernardo Silva, who has helped the team win six Premier League titles.
4. Madrid, Spain
Next up, we have Madrid, Spain, home to some of the world’s most famous football teams, including Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Real Madrid holds 15 Champions League titles and is the only club to win three in a row. Football is a major attraction in the Spanish capital, with a history dating back to the late 19th century.
Among all teams from Madrid, the city has won La Liga 47 times, with Real Madrid winning 36 times and Atlético Madrid 11, more than any other city in Spain.
5. Athens, Greece
Athens, Greece, is another great destination to visit for football fans. Some of the biggest football stadiums to visit include the Olympic Stadium, Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium and the Agia Sophia Stadium, which host top-tier UEFA matches.
Some famous footballers from Athens include Thomas Mavros, who scored 260 goals in Super League 1, and Stelios Manolas, who is often regarded as the best Greek defender of all time.
6. Prague, Czech Republic
In sixth place is Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Prague is an excellent destination for football lovers, offering a rich, historic football culture, affordable tickets, and a passionate atmosphere across multiple local clubs. Key experiences include watching the intense Sparta Prague-Slavia Prague derby, visiting traditional clubs like Bohemians 1905, and enjoying the city’s top-tier beer culture.
The city is home to some of the country’s top football teams, including AC Sparta Prague, which has won the Czech league 14 times since 1993, and SK Slavia Prague, which has won 8.
We also researched which UK destinations are best for football fans. Take a look at the results below:
*These cities were selected as they have the most teams playing in the Premier League
| City | Stadium score (average) | Stadium capacity (average) | Average summer temperature (July) | Number of sports bars | Total score (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 87.4 | 57,023 | 22 | 39 | 75 |
| London | 67.9 | 42,676 | 23 | 109 | 66.6 |
| Manchester | 76.7 | 74,879 | 22 | 14 | 66. |
Liverpool takes first place, with the highest stadium score among the three cities. London and Manchester were joint second. London had the highest number of sports bars per city. Manchester had the highest average stadium capacity and average stadium score; however, it has fewer sports bars than both Liverpool and London. London also ranked higher for average summer temperature.
Book your holiday with Iglu Cruise
If you’re a football fan looking to visit some iconic football cities, why not consider a cruise? With a cruise, you can travel to multiple destinations in one trip, such as Barcelona, Lisbon and Rome, where you can take a tour of some of the world’s most famous football stadiums. Take a look at some of our latest cruise deals to see which destinations await you.
