Soccer City Stadium, Football stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa
Soccer City Stadium is a football arena in Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa, with around 95,000 seats, making it the largest venue of its kind on the African continent. The outer walls display a mosaic pattern in earth tones that echoes a traditional African cooking vessel, while the stands in several tiers encircle the oval bowl.
The venue opened in 1989 and underwent a major expansion and upgrade for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Nelson Mandela gave his first speech here in Johannesburg in 1990 after his release, which gave the site a special political importance.
The stadium has been officially called FNB Stadium since it opened on 7 October 1989 under a naming rights deal with First National Bank, and that remains its current name. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the month before, FIFA rules required it to be referred to as Soccer City. Its nickname, the Calabash, comes from its resemblance to the African pot or gourd.
Access is through several entrances around the outer ring, with signage leading to different zones. The venue sits southwest of the city center in an open area and is easy to reach by car or organized shuttles during events.
Ten black vertical lines articulate the stands; nine mark the other 2010 World Cup venues, while a tenth points toward Berlin's Olympic Stadium, host of the 2006 final. The lines trace the road to the final, and each goal scored at the tournament was meant to be recorded in pre-cast concrete panels on a podium.
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