Athletic Bilbao's San Mames named best football stadium

Athletic Club Bilbao's San Mames Stadium was named as the best football stadium in the world at the World Football Summit.

The announcement was made on Monday night at the World Football Summit, which is currently being held in the Spanish capital city of Madrid, reports Xinhua news agency.

Athletic Club Bilbao's ground was competing against the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is home to the Atlanta Falcons (NFL) and Atlanta United (MLS), and the Estadio de Luz which is home to Portuguese side Benfica.

The new San Mames stadium, which has the capacity for 53,000 fans, was opened at the start of the 2013-14 season, with work on it completed by the start of the following campaign.

It replaced Athletic's former San Mames ground, with one of the stands constructed over the site of the former ground.

The new stadium has an emblematic facade which can project a lights display and also hosts restaurants, a swimming pool and the club shops and museum.

It was recently announced that it will be the venue for the 2018 finals of the European Rugby Challenge Cup and Champions Cup.

--IANS

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