It is located next to theSouth African Football Association headquarters (SAFA House) where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the2010 FIFA World Cup are housed.[6] Designed as the mainassociation football stadium for the 2010 World Cup, the FNB Stadium became thelargest stadium in Africa with a capacity of 94,736. However, its maximum capacity during the 2010 FIFA World Cup was 84,490 due to reserved seating for the press and VIPs. The stadium is also known by its nickname "TheCalabash" due to its resemblance to the African pot[7] or gourd.
It was the site ofNelson Mandela's first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990, and served as the venue for amemorial service to him on 10 December 2013.[8][9] It was also the site of the funeral of anti-apartheid activistsChris Hani (on 19 April 1993) andOliver Tambo (on 2 May 1993).[8] It was also the venue for the2010 FIFA World Cup Final, which was played by the Netherlands and Spain. The World Cup closing ceremony on the day of the final saw the final public appearance of Mandela.[10]
The stadium has been officially known as FNB Stadium since it was opened on 7 October 1989.[11] This was due to anaming rights deal withFirst National Bank. During the2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as in the month before the tournament, the stadium was referred to as Soccer City. This was done asFIFA does not allow stadiums to be referred to by sponsored names during FIFA-sanctioned tournaments. The stadium's current name is FNB Stadium.
Construction work in progress at Soccer City in May 2008
Built in 1987, the stadium underwent a major upgrade for the2010 FIFA World Cup, with a new design inspired by the shape of an African pot, thecalabash.[12][13] The South African main contractor GLTA, part of the Aveng Group in a joint venture with the Dutch companyBAM who had a 25% stake, constructed the upgrade, which was designed byHOK Sport (now known asPopulous) and Boogertman + Partners. The upgrade included: an extended upper tier around the stadium to increase the capacity to 88,958,[14] an additional two executive suites, an encircling roof, new changing room facilities and new floodlights. The number of suites in the stadium was increased to 195. Grinaker-LTA and BAM international won theR1.5 billion[15] tender to upgrade the stadium.[16] The construction was completed on Wednesday, 21 October 2009 and was marked by a huge celebration at the stadium.[14]
Construction work in progress at Soccer City in December 2008
The outside of the stadium is designed to have the appearance of an African pot; the cladding on the outside is a mosaic of fire and earthen colours with a ring of lights running around the bottom of the structure, simulating fire underneath the pot. No spectator is seated more than 100 metres (330 ft) from the field, and there are no restricted views in the stadium.[17]
The stands in the FNB Stadium are articulated by ten black vertical lines; nine are aligned geographically with the nine other stadiums involved in the 2010 World Cup. Because nine is considered to be an unlucky number in South African traditional culture,[citation needed] a tenth line was added. This 10th line is aimed at Berlin'sOlympic Stadium, which hosted the previous World Cup final in 2006. This represents the road to the final and it is hoped that after the World Cup, each goal scored at the stadium will be placed in pre-cast concrete panels on a podium so that the full history of the tournament's scores can be seen for years to come.[18]
The newly reconstructed stadium retains part of the original structure's west upper tier, although this and the entire lower tier were rebuilt to improve sightlines. The lower tier was completely reconstructed and divided into two segments which enabled the creation of a new lower concourse (the lower embankment concourse) linked to the existing ground level concourse.
FNB Stadium served as the main venue for the tournament. It hosted the opening game, 5 other group games, a quarter final, a semi final, the 3rd place play-off and the final. The games were:
The stadium hosted the opening ceremony followed by the opening match between South Africa and Mexico, 4 other group stage matches, a Round of 16 match, a quarter-final and the final.
FNB stadium has been used by theSouth African national football team for both friendlies and qualification matches. It was seen as the de facto national stadium for Bafana Bafana after re-admission in 1992, who played their third ever international match there on 11 July 1992 where they drew 2–2 with Cameroon courtesy of goals from Phil and Bennett Masinga for South Africa in front of 65,000 supporters. The "old" FNB Stadium also housed the then South African Football Association (SAFA) headquarters as well as the offices of the semi-professional National Soccer League (which later traded as the professional Premier Soccer League).
The stadium has also hosted large continental club fixtures. It is largely remembered as the venue where Bafana Bafana lifted the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations when they beat Tunisia 2–0 in front of a full capacity in a match witnessed by then South African president, Nelson Mandela, his then deputy president and former South African State President, FW de Klerk, as well as Zulu monarch, King Zwelithini. The South African national football team also won their first ever trophy here when they lifted the Simba Four Nations Cup in 1995, in a competition featuring Egypt, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Some of the most memorable Bafana Bafana matches at the venue include the narrow 3–2 defeat to Brazil in 1996 as well as the country's memorable triumph when they secured passage through to a first ever World Cup appearance for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France when they beat Republic of Congo 1–0 through a Phil Masinga strike in 1997.
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, one of the most entertaining matches was played here in the quarterfinal stages when Uruguay beat Ghana in a penalty shootout made more memorable by a blatant handball in the last minute of the extra time by Uruguay strikerLuis Suárez, which denied a Ghana and Africa a first ever semifinal appearance at the world football showpiece.
The FNB Stadium is home to Kaizer Chiefs Football Club. It is also the preferred venue for the Soweto derby soccer matches – the country's biggest sporting showpiece – involving Soweto basedPremier Soccer League clubs, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. It was also the traditional home of the Iwisa Maize Meal Spectacular and later, the Telkom Charity Cup, which were charity soccer season openers in South African football from 1990 to 2006, before it was closed for renovations. The stadium was re-opened when it hosted the 2010Nedbank Cup final betweenBidvest Wits andAmazulu. The game ending 3–0 to Bidvest Wits.Fabricio Rodrigues was the first player to score at the rebuilt Soccer City. The Charity Cup then returned in2010. The first league match at the stadium since being rebuilt, was a2010–11 Premier Soccer League match betweenOrlando Pirates andFree State Stars. The firstMTN 8 match at the stadium was the first leg of the2010 MTN 8 semifinal, betweenOrlando Pirates andKaizer Chiefs. The venue has also hosted high-profile Bafana Bafana matches, including their 1–0 win over Spain in 2013 as well as the side's worst ever defeat when they lost, 5–0, to Brazil in another international friendly in 2014.
FNB stadium is a multi-purpose venue and hosted its firstrugby union match in 2010, theTri Nations match betweenSouth Africa andNew Zealand, won 29-22 by the All Blacks. The attendance was 94,713 which is listed as the third highest rugby attendance ever in the Southern Hemisphere and a record attendance for the redeveloped stadium, until it was eclipsed on 1 August 2015, when 94,807 was recorded when Orlando Pirates played Kaizer Chiefs in the Carling Black Label Cup fixture.
The stadium hosted New Zealand again in the2012 Rugby Championship on 6 October, with the All Blacks defeating the Springboks 32–16 in front of 88,739. In2013, the Springboks defeatedArgentina 73–13 at FNB Stadium in front of a crowd 52,867. In 2016, the venue hosted Varsity Cup rugby fixtures. In 2025 the Springboks will host the All Blacks in the third test match of theRugby's Greatest Rivalry tour.
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In July 2023, the stadium was host to the 10th anniversary rally of theEconomic Freedom Fighters. The EFF president,Julius Malema, sang the controversial song "Kill the Boer/Kill the farmer". The song sparked controversy in the subsequent days. TheDemocratic Alliance announced it was appealing to theUN Human Rights Council to declare the song hate speech, in addition to an EFF supporter falling to his death.
