London is often described as the sporting capital of the world, with the city boasting a plethora of professional clubs across numerous sports.
Regardless of where you visit in London, you are rarely likely to be more than a few minutes away from stumbling into an impressive sporting venue.
Football tends to dominate the sporting landscape in London, with several major stadiums located across the English capital.
However, rugby union and cricket also get a look in to ensure fans of other top-class sports do not feel left out.
With that in mind, we have trawled through the city to produce this definitive list of stadiums, starting with one of iconic in world sport.
Wembley Stadium
Given that it is the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest in Europe, it is little wonder that Wembley Stadium boasts such a lofty reputation.
It is home to the England national team and was the venue as the Three Lions famously won the World Cup on home soil in 1966.
The stadium was completely rebuilt during the early part of this century, and now boasts a 90,000 capacity and an arch which is the world’s longest unsupported roof structure.
In addition to hosting major sporting events, Wembley also often stages music concerts, world championship boxing matches and professional wrestling.
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and largely hosts England national rugby union team home matches.
Located in south west London, Twickenham is the world’s largest rugby union stadium, the second largest stadium in the UK and the fourth largest in Europe.
Premiership Rugby and European Rugby Champions Cup games have also been played at the stadium, while the NFL London Games were staged there in 2016 and 2017.
Iron Maiden, Metallica, Lady Gaga, Eminem, The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi and R.E.M. are among the major global recording artists who have performed at Twickenham.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
The newest major stadium in London is the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – unsurprisingly the home of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
With a 62,850 capacity which incorporates a 17,500-seat single-tier stand and a retractable pitch, this is one of the most impressive sports venues in the world.
The stadium’s acoustics have been designed to create an intimidating atmosphere, which Tottenham have used to great effect during the current campaign.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been chosen to stage UEFA European Championship matches when the tournament is held in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2028.
London Stadium
Initially built for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, the London Stadium subsequently became the home of West Ham United.
The move was not universally welcomed by West Ham fans, who preferred the unique atmosphere they were able to create at their former ground.
However, changes to the stadium have made it more suitable for football and it has gradually become a daunting place to play for visiting teams.
While West Ham are the main tenants at the London Stadium, numerous other sports have been staged there including cricket, athletics, baseball and rugby league.
Emirates Stadium
Arsenal like to think of themselves as the biggest football club in London, but the capacity of their Emirates Stadium now lags behind two of their local rivals.
More than 60,000 people can be accommodated on matchdays at the Emirates and they are treated to one of the best viewing experiences in world football.
The stadium is a four-tiered bowl with translucent polycarbonate roofing over the stands, but not over the pitch, allowing fans to enjoy uninterrupted views of the action.
Brazil have played several international matches at the Emirates, while the stadium was the only London venue for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
Stamford Bridge
First opened in 1877, Stamford Bridge became the home of Chelsea Football Club 28 years later and they have stayed there ever since.
The stadium’s highest official attendance is 82,905 for a league match between Chelsea and Arsenal in October 1935, but the current capacity is now less than half that figure.
Chelsea wanted to expand the stadium under previous owner Roman Abramovich, but the plans were shelved due to an ‘unfavourable investment climate’ in May 2018.
The club reportedly hired architect Janet Marie Smith in July 2022 to lead the renovation of the stadium one stand at a time, and a recent land acquisition will help move the project along.
Lord’s Cricket Ground
While football and rugby stadiums have had a monopoly up to this point, another sport gets in on the act courtesy of Lord’s Cricket Ground.
It is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the European Cricket Council (ECC).
Commonly known as the ‘Home of Cricket’, this 31,100-capacity venue is revered around the world as one of the most iconic places to play the sport.
Lord’s is also home to the MCC Museum – the oldest sports museum in the world. It contains a ton of cricket memorabilia including The Ashes urn.
The Oval
The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it was first opened in 1845 and has since etched its name into sporting folklore.
It was the first ground in England to host international Test cricket in September 1880 and still regularly hosts top-class international cricket.
The Oval also staged the first representative football match between England and Scotland, and numerous FA Cup finals between 1872 and 1892.
More recently, the finals of the 2004 & 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Final were staged there.