Given the sheer amount of money involved in the league, it likely won’t come as a surprise that the newer NFL stadiums tend to be built on budgets that rank them among the most expensive stadiums in the world.
In fact, four NFL stadiums that opened in 2010, 2017, and 2020 are the most expensive stadiums ever built anywhere on the planet, and only one of them hosts a main team that isn’t playing gridiron football.
Read on to witness the colossal fees paid for the most expensive NFL stadiums ever built, as well as the list of the top ten priciest NFL stadiums.
1 - SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Rams and Chargers)
The most expensive stadium in the NFL and in the world is the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
Having broken ground in 2016, it took four years to build what would be named SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and due to the pandemic, additional costs were incurred.
Still one of the newest NFL stadiums, it reportedly had a construction budget of US$4.9 billion, but in mid-2020, the franchise requested a loan for US$500 million from the league to complete the construction, which they were granted.
With US$5.4 billion sunk into the build, SoFi Stadium more than doubles the cost of the next-closest NFL stadium’s cost.
The final build did, however, win the 2021 Outstanding Architectural Engineering Project award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and was quickly allowed to host Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
The Rams would win the Super Bowl in their home stadium, but since that triumph, it’s been mostly downhill. Starting this season 1-2, few betting lines favour the rebuilding Rams this season, while the Chargers are also 1-2.
2 - Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas Raiders)
From one new venue that’s hosted the Super Bowl to the next stadium to host the Super Bowl, the 2020-opened Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, is the second most expensive NFL stadium.
Reportedly costing US$1.9 billion, its capacity of 65,000 is only 5,000 less than SoFi for NFL games, but far, far fewer than the number of seats at the likes of MetLife Stadium (82,500) and Lambeau Field (81,441).
At the time of its opening, the new home of the relocated Raiders remained empty. COVID-19 restrictions meant that Allegiant Stadium’s 2020 season was played in front of empty seats.
3 - MetLife Stadium (New York Giants and Jets)
Built in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to house both the New York Giants and New York Jets, MetLife Stadium broke ground in 2007, opened in 2010, and cost US$1.7 billion to make.
If we’re talking capacity and income potential as a result, MetLife Stadium presents one of the better returns on investment when compared to the outright most expensive NFL stadiums.
The home of the Jets and the Giants seats 82,500 spectators, which is good for 12,500 more than SoFi Stadium and 17,500 more than Allegiant Stadium. Adjusted for inflation, MetLife Stadium cost around US$0.13 billion more than its Las Vegas peer.
Soon, it’ll be one of the biggest stadiums to host the cross-continent FIFA World Cup in 2026, and there’s a push for it to host the most-watched single-sports event on the planet: the FIFA World Cup Final.
4 - Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Falcons)
Boasting a colossal silver sculpture of a falcon grabbing a football, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta ticks all of the boxes for being modern, expensive, and of a high capacity.
Costing some US$1.6 billion by the time it opened its doors in 2017, the NFL stadium can seat 71,000 fans and even expand to 75,000 when needed.
Including the Atlanta Falcon sculpture, the owners invested in over 180 newly commissioned works of contemporary art to dot around the ground.
While they weren’t tipped to do too well this season, even with such a lavish stadium cramming in the fans, the Falcons have started well and are even at +140 in the NFL odds to win the NFC South.
Top 10 Most Expensive NFL Stadiums Ever Built
The Top 10 most expensive NFL stadiums ever built are as follows:
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SoFi Stadium (US$5.4 billion)
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Allegiant Stadium (US$1.9 billion)
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MetLife Stadium (US$1.7 billion)
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Mercedes-Benz Stadium (US$1.5 billion)
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AT&T Stadium (US$1.4 billion)
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Levi’s Stadium (US$1.3 billion)
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U.S. Bank Stadium (US$$1.1 billion)
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Lucas Oil Stadium (US$720 million)
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Soldier Field (US$600 million)
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Lincoln Financial Field (US$518 million)
For the record, and not adjusted for inflation, the cheapest of all of the active NFL stadiums is the home of the Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field, which is said to have cost $960,000 in 1957.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
