FNB Stadium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
First National Bank Stadium

Soccer City, The Calabash
FNB Stadium during the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Full name	FNB Stadium
Former names	Soccer City (2010)
Location	Stadium Avenue, Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa
Coordinates	26°14′05″S 27°58′56″E / 26.23472°S 27.98222°E / -26.23472; 27.98222
Elevation	1,753 m (5,751 ft)
Owner	City of Johannesburg
Operator	Stadium Management South Africa
Executive suites	195
Capacity	94,736
Record attendance	94,807 (Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates, 1 August 2015)
Field size	105 × 68 m
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1986
Built	1987–1989
Opened	7 October 1989; 35 years ago (1989-10-07)
Renovated	2007–2009
Expanded	2009
Construction cost	ZAR 3.3 billion (US$440 million)
Architect	Boogertman & Partners, HOK Sport (now Populous)
Builder	Grinaker-LTA/ BAM International
Structural engineer	Schlaich Bergermann & Partner
Tenants
Kaizer Chiefs South Africa national football team South Africa national rugby union team

First National Bank Stadium, often called FNB Stadium, is a famous sports ground in Johannesburg, South Africa. It's also known as Soccer City or The Calabash. This stadium is a major spot for both soccer and rugby games.

It's the home stadium for the Kaizer Chiefs F.C. soccer team and hosts important matches for the South African national soccer team. The stadium is right next to the South African Football Association (SAFA) headquarters.

FNB Stadium is the largest stadium in Africa. It can hold 94,736 people! During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, its capacity was a bit less (84,490) because some seats were saved for the press and special guests. People call it "The Calabash" because its shape looks like a traditional African pot.

This stadium has seen many important moments in history. Nelson Mandela gave his first speech in Johannesburg here after being released from prison in 1990. It also hosted his memorial service in 2013. The stadium was the venue for the exciting 2010 FIFA World Cup Final between the Netherlands and Spain.

What's in a Name?

The stadium has been officially called FNB Stadium since it opened on 7 October 1989. This name comes from a deal with First National Bank. However, during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it was called Soccer City. This is because FIFA rules don't allow stadiums to use sponsored names during their tournaments. Today, it's back to being FNB Stadium.

Building the Stadium

The stadium was first built in 1987. It got a huge upgrade for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The new design was inspired by the shape of an African pot, called a calabash.

During the upgrade, the stadium got bigger. More seats were added, increasing its capacity. It also got a new roof, better changing rooms, and brighter floodlights. The construction work finished on 21 October 2009.

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  Construction work in progress at Soccer City in May 2008

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  Construction work in progress at Soccer City in December 2008

Stadium Design and Features

Exterior of FNB stadium

Inside the FNB stadium

The outside of FNB Stadium looks like a giant African pot. It has a colourful mosaic of fire and earth tones. A ring of lights around the bottom makes it look like fire is burning underneath the pot. No matter where you sit, you're never more than 100 metres (330 feet) from the field. This means everyone gets a great view!

The stadium's stands have ten black vertical lines. Nine of these lines point to the other stadiums used in the 2010 World Cup. A tenth line was added because the number nine is sometimes seen as unlucky in South African culture. This tenth line points to the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, where the previous World Cup final was held. It represents the journey to the final match.

Before the Big Upgrade

Before its big makeover, the stadium already had a good structure. When it was rebuilt, parts of the original upper section were kept. However, the lower sections were completely redone to give fans even better views of the action.

Major Tournaments Hosted

FNB Stadium has been the main stage for several big sports events.

1996 African Cup of Nations

The stadium was the main venue for this important soccer tournament. It hosted the opening game, several group matches, a quarter-final, a semi-final, the third-place match, and the grand final. South Africa's national team won the final here, beating Tunisia 2–0.

Date	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
13 January 1996	South Africa	3–0	Cameroon	Group A (opening match)	80,000
15 January 1996	Egypt	2–1	Angola	Group A	6,000
18 January 1996	Cameroon	2–1	Egypt		4,000
20 January 1996	South Africa	1–0	Angola		30,000
24 January 1996		0–1	Egypt		20,000
25 January 1996	Zaire	2–0	Liberia	Group C	3,000
27 January 1996	South Africa	2–1	Algeria	Quarter-finals	80,000
31 January 1996		3–0	Ghana	Semi-finals	80,000
3 February 1996	Ghana	0–1	Zambia	Third place match	80,000
3 February 1996	South Africa	2–0	Tunisia	Final	80,000

2010 FIFA World Cup

This was a huge event for South Africa! FNB Stadium hosted the opening ceremony and the first match between South Africa and Mexico. It also saw four other group games, a Round of 16 match, a quarter-final, and the grand final.

Date	Time (UTC+02)	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
11 June 2010	16:00	South Africa	1–1	Mexico	Group A (opening match)	84,490
14 June 2010	13:30	Netherlands	2–0	Denmark	Group E	83,465
17 June 2010	13:30	Argentina	4–1	South Korea	Group B	82,174
20 June 2010	20:30	Brazil	3–1	Ivory Coast	Group G	84,455
23 June 2010	20:30	Ghana	0–1	Germany	Group D	83,391
27 June 2010	20:30	Argentina	3–1	Mexico	Round of 16	84,377
2 July 2010	20:30	Uruguay	1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–2 pen.)	Ghana	Quarter-finals	84,017
11 July 2010	20.30	Netherlands	0–1 (a.e.t)	Spain	Final	84,490

2013 African Cup of Nations

FNB Stadium was also a venue for this tournament. It hosted the opening game, one group game, and the final match.

Date	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
19 January 2013	South Africa	0–0	Cape Verde	Group A (opening match)	50,000
19 January 2013	Angola	0–0	Morocco	Group A	25,000
10 February 2013	Nigeria	1–0	Burkina Faso	Final	85,000

2021 South Africa vs British & Irish Lions

The stadium was supposed to host the last two matches of this rugby series. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these games were moved to Cape Town Stadium.

Football Matches

International Football

FNB Stadium has been a key venue for the South African national soccer team, known as Bafana Bafana. They played their third international match here in 1992.

The stadium is famous for when Bafana Bafana won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations. They beat Tunisia 2–0 in front of a huge crowd. Nelson Mandela, the president at the time, watched this historic victory. The team also won their first trophy here, the Simba Four Nations Cup, in 1995.

Uruguay vs. Ghana at the FNB Stadium, 2 July 2010

One memorable moment from the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a quarter-final match here. Uruguay played Ghana, and the game went to a penalty shootout. This match is remembered for a controversial handball by a Uruguay player, which stopped Ghana from possibly reaching the semi-finals.

Local Football

FNB Stadium is the home ground for the Kaizer Chiefs Football Club. It's also the favourite place for the "Soweto derby" matches. These are big games between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, two popular teams from Soweto.

The stadium hosted the 2010 Nedbank Cup final, where Bidvest Wits beat Amazulu 3–0. In May 2018, Mamelodi Sundowns played an exhibition match against FC Barcelona here. This game honoured the late former President of South Africa.

Rugby Matches

FNB Stadium is used for more than just soccer. It hosted its first rugby match in 2010. This was a Tri Nations match between South Africa and New Zealand. The attendance for that game was 94,713 people, which was a record for the stadium at the time.

The stadium hosted New Zealand again in 2012, and in 2013, the Springboks (South Africa's national rugby team) beat Argentina here.

Concerts and Events

FNB Stadium is also a popular venue for big concerts and other events. Many famous music artists from around the world have performed here.

A The Coldplay concert was a rehearsal concert for their Mylo Xyloto Tour. They also filmed parts of the music video for their song "Paradise" here.

Christian Gatherings

The stadium also hosts large religious events.

Important Events

On 29 July 2017, a sad event happened when two people died and 17 were hurt in a crowd crush. This happened as people tried to enter the stadium for a match between the Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

In July 2023, the stadium hosted a rally for the Economic Freedom Fighters political party.

See also

In Spanish: Estadio Soccer City para niños

• 1996 African Cup of Nations
• 2010 FIFA World Cup
• 2013 African Cup of Nations
• Lists of stadiums