What if? Although this question often leads to nowhere, in the case of stadiums it is quite reasonable. So take a trip with us into stadium neverland, where we find the facilities that have failed to see the light of day.

Stadium plans in the capitals of England and Argentina

Forced by the impossibility of moving, Chelsea's activists decided in 2014 to completely rebuild Stamford Bridge. World-renowned architects from Basel (Herzog & de Meuron) were commissioned to prepare the design, and the main idea was to increase capacity and commercial potential. Aesthetically, the stadium was to be a tribute to London's architecture - that of football, residential and sacred.

Changing not only the country but also the continent, the concept for the redevelopment of Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires dates back to 2013 and was part of the pre-election promises of River Plate presidential candidate Rodolfo D'Onofrio. After winning the 2014 election, he announced plans that included a major redevelopment of the Monumental stadium. A completely new structure was to be erected on the outside of the stadium. Instead, Mas Monumental is undergoing a renovation that focuses on the interior of the arena.

© Herzog & de Meuron / Chelsea FC | Design of Stamford Bridge

Stadiums that look different to the plans

Did you know that the stadium that was the arena for the 2022 World Cup final was supposed to look different? Its capacity would then have been 86,250 spectators. The venue would have been called the Lusail Iconic Stadium and the design dates back to 2010. The main features of the concept were to be a fully retractable roof and an eco-friendly cooling system.

Meanwhile, the final stop of our adventure awaits us - Catalonia. The redevelopment of Spotify Camp Nou is electrifying the entire football world. It turns out that there have been a number of projects to renovate Europe's biggest stadium. One of them is a concept created in 2014. The main objectives of this idea were similar to the project that was eventually chosen. The capacity of the stands was also to increase to 105,000 spectators and the venue would gain a roof. The biggest difference compared to the current project would be the design of the facility. Construction was to be carried out between 2017 and 2021. Blaugrana fans will have to wait a little longer, but we dare say they will not complain about the new arena.

© Qatar 2022 Bid | Design of Lusail Iconic Stadium