Stadium diplomacy is a form of subsidy practiced by a nation through building and financing the construction of stadiums and sports facilities. [1] [2] [3] China uses this form of soft power to secure diplomatic recognition in line with the One-China policy and to secure natural resources. [2] [4]
The construction of stadiums is financed depending on the project with some given as gifts; paid for through low interest, concessional loans; built in partnership with both credit and the host nation taking on different construction responsibilities; or through some other kind of partnership. [5] This form of diplomacy was practiced as early as 1958, when the Chinese government financed the construction of the National Sports Stadium in neighboring Mongolia. [6]
The following includes overseas stadiums and sports facilities built and donated as gifts or financed in association with the host country. [2] [5] Stadiums built by the creditor nation construction firms but without their government's financing assistance are not listed.
The Stade Vélodrome, known for sponsorship reasons as the Orange Vélodrome since June 2016, is a multi-purpose stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1 since it opened in 1937, and has been a venue in the 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups; the 1960, 1984 and 2016 editions of the UEFA European Championship; and the 2007 and 2023 Rugby World Cup. It occasionally hosts RC Toulon rugby club of the Top 14. It is the second largest stadium in France, behind Stade de France in Saint-Denis (Paris), with a capacity of 67,394 spectators. The stadium is also used regularly by the France national rugby union team.
Estadio Mâs Monumental, popularly known as "River Plate Stadium", "Monumental de Núñez", or simply "El Monumental", is a stadium in Belgrano, Buenos Aires, owned and operated by Club Atlético River Plate.
Moshood Abiola National Stadium is a multipurpose national sports stadium located in Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. The stadium serves as a home to the Nigerian national football team, as well as a center for various social, cultural, and religious events. The Federal Government of Nigeria approved the contract for the construction of the National Stadium complex and Games Village on 18 July 2000. The stadium was constructed to host the 8th All Africa Games which took place in October 2003. On Wednesday, 12 June 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the change of the name of the National Stadium, Abuja to Moshood Abiola National Stadium after former Nigerian politician chief M.K.O. Abiola. President Buhari made this pronouncement during his speech at the Democracy Day celebration at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
El Menzah Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, located in El Menzah, Tunis, Tunisia. The stadium was established in 1967 on the occasion of the 1967 Mediterranean Games on the ruins of Vélodrome Stadium. Its capacity is 39,858 spectators.
Panda diplomacy is the practice of sending giant pandas from China to other countries as a tool of diplomacy and wildlife conservation. From 1941 to 1984, the Chinese government gifted pandas to other countries. Since 1984, they have been leased rather than gifted due to a PRC policy change.
The Moi International Sports Centre is a multi-purpose stadium in Kasarani, Kenya. It was built in 1987 for the All-Africa Games held in Nairobi. The facilities include a 60,000-seat stadium with a running track and a pitch used for football and rugby union, a competition size swimming pool, an indoor arena and a 108-bed capacity hotel. Located at 1,612 metres above sea level, it is slightly above 1 mile in altitude.
BMO Field is an outdoor stadium located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Constructed on the former Exhibition Stadium site and first opened in 2007, it is the home field of Toronto FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). BMO Field is owned by the City of Toronto and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns both Toronto FC and the Argonauts. The stadium's naming rights are held by the Bank of Montreal, which is commonly branded as "BMO". It is one of two Canadian stadiums which will host matches of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. An expansion for the tournament will bring the stadium's capacity to 45,736 seats.
The Mandela National Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Uganda. It is named after the former South African President and anti-apartheid icon, Nelson Mandela. The stadium's record attendance of 50,000 was set in 2004, in a football match between the national football teams of Uganda and South Africa.
The Accra Sports Stadium, formerly named the Ohene Djan Stadium, is a multi-use stadium located in Accra, Ghana, mostly used for association football matches. It is also used for rugby union.
Soberanía National Stadium is located in Managua, Nicaragua. It has a capacity of 15,000. The stadium was built in 2017 as the Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez, named after former Major League Baseball player Dennis Martínez, as a replacement for Managua's previous Estadio Nacional
The Amahoro Stadium, officially known as Amahoro National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Gasabo district of Kigali, Rwanda. With a capacity of 45,508, it is the largest stadium in Rwanda and hosts football matches, concerts, and public events. Amahoro stadium was given that name due to it being the home of Rwanda's National Team Amavubi.
The National Stadium of Costa Rica is a multi-purpose stadium in La Sabana Metropolitan Park, San José, Costa Rica. It was the first modern sporting and events arena to be built in Central America. The stadium was completed in early 2011 and officially opened its doors to the public on March 26 of that year, with a capacity of 35,175 seats. The stadium replaced the original National Stadium, and is the home stadium of the Costa Rican national football team.
Victoria Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Gibraltar. It is currently used mostly for football matches, but also hosts the annual Gibraltar Music Festival. It is located close to Gibraltar Airport just off Winston Churchill Avenue. It was named after the wife of Gibraltarian philanthropist John Mackintosh.
The Stade Pierre-Mauroy, also known as the Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-use retractable roof stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq in Northern France, that opened in August 2012. With a seating capacity of 50,186, it is the fourth-largest sports stadium in France and the home of French professional football club Lille.
Benjamin Mkapa Stadium also known as Tanzania National Main Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miburani ward of Temeke District in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It opened in 2007 and was built adjacent to Uhuru Stadium, the former national stadium. It hosts major football matches such as the Tanzanian Premier League and home matches of the Tanzania national football team.
Stade de la Paix is a multi-use stadium in Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 40,000 people. Along with Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, it was constructed for the 1984 African Nations Cup. It was one of the host stadiums for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, and is currently being renovated for the competition by Mota-Engil, with structures designed by Quadrante Group.
The Stade de l’Amitié sino-gabonaise is a stadium in Angondjé, a suburb of Libreville in Gabon. It is referred to as Stade de l'Amitié. The stadium build was expected to take 20 months and was funded by the Gabonese and Chinese governments.
Alassane Ouattara Stadium, commonly known as the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé and formerly as the National Stadium of the Ivory Coast, is a multi-purpose stadium in Ebimpé and Anyama, in northern Abidjan. It opened in 2020. The stadium hosts major football matches including home matches of the Ivory Coast national football team. Alassane Ouattara Stadium is owned by the Government of Ivory Coast. With 60,000 seats, it is the largest stadium in Ivory Coast and one of the most modern stadiums in Africa.
The New Nauru Stadium is a multi-use stadium currently under construction on the Pacific island nation of Nauru.
The Solomon Islands National Stadium is the national stadium of the Pacific island nation of the Solomon Islands and is located in the capital Honiara. The 10,000-seat venue was originally constructed as the main venue for the 2023 Pacific Games and was given to the country as a gift from the People's Republic of China at a cost of USD $71 million. The venue can host association football, rugby, and athletics. At time of construction, it was the largest infrastructure project that China had undertaken in the Oceania region.
Guyana's new cricket stadium for next year's World Cup will be officially opened by India vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday. India provided a US$6 million (euro4.7 million) grant and US$19 million (euro15 million) in loans for the 15,000-seat Providence Stadium, which will host Super 8 matches during the World Cup next March and April.