In 1976, Montreal set out to impress the world. What it ended up with was a mountain of debt, a concrete colossus, and the reputation of hosting one of the most poorly organized Olympic Games in history. How did it all go so wrong?

A stadium meant to inspire. Games that left scars

It was meant to symbolize modernity and national pride. Instead, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium went down in history as one of the biggest logistical and financial fiascos in the history of sport. The project was originally estimated at 134 million Canadian dollars. In reality, the final bill topped 1.6 billion. Quebec taxpayers continued to pay it off until 2006 – a full 30 years. That places the Canadian venue among the most expensive stadiums ever built.

Not surprisingly, the stadium earned the ironic nickname The Big Owe – a play on Big O (its official name) and owe (as in debt). As The Guardian put it, it was the biggest Olympic hangover in history. The stadium’s roof leaked, the tower wasn’t ready on time, and Montreal was left with a white elephant that consumed millions more over the decades.

© Olivier Kerbidi

Corruption, sabotage, dysfunction

Behind the scenes, chaos reigned. The project’s chief engineer, Claude Phaneuf, openly spoke of organized corruption, sabotage, and theft, unlike anything I had ever seen before or since. Architect Roger Taillibert described the situation as a farce in his memoir and admitted that without support from one of the union bosses, the Games might not have happened at all.

To this day, the stadium does not have a fully functional roof. In 1999, part of it collapsed under the weight of snow. Winter weather still makes it impossible to hold events during parts of the year. Experts have repeatedly warned that the structure is in poor condition and no longer worth maintaining. Enough already. Just blow the thing to hell, wrote a columnist in the Montreal Gazette. Radical words, but the frustration is understandable.

© Guy Plante

The second most expensive stadium in the world

When adjusted to today’s values, the cost of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium comes in at 4.189 billion US dollars. That makes it the second most expensive stadium in the world – pricier than the new Santiago Bernabéu, London’s Emirates Stadium, or Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The size of that number is even more staggering considering the stadium remained unfinished for years, was unusable in winter, and lacked a consistent tenant for most of its existence.

Curious which other arenas made the list of the world’s most expensive stadiums? Take a look at the full ranking of the top 20. Alongside well-known venues from Europe and the US, you’ll find some surprising entries from Asia and the Middle East – including the brand-new Kai Tak Stadium.