The best places to watch sport in the world

Dortmund | Germany

There's one main reason sports fans should head to Dortmund, and that's the Yellow Wall.

The Westfalenstadion (or Signal Uduna Park) was built ahead of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and, after lots of renovations, is now the biggest stadium in Germany. What makes the stadium so iconic is the Südtribüne (South Bank), which with a capacity of 24,454 is the largest terrace for standing spectators in European football. Any team that visits is greeted by this wall of noise and yellow Borussia Dortmund shirts, resulting in one of the most intense atmospheres in world football.

It's difficult to find a better getaway for football fanatics, especially when combined with a trip to the nearby German Football Museum that traces the history of German football.

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Melbourne | Australia

If there's one thing most Melbournians love, it's sport. The most quintessentially Australian sport is Aussie Rules, which just so happens to have been invented in Melbourne. To describe it badly, it's like a mixture of football and rugby that's played on a cricket-sized pitch and often resembles a mass brawl over a ball. The AFL Grand Final held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is when it's at its most exciting, which is regularly attended by over 100,000 people.

Speaking of the MCB, it's here where the annual Boxing Day Test is played. Cricket's another Australian favourite, and every year they invite a team over for a Test match – England are heading there in 2025, in case you fancied the trip. And to make things more interesting, the Boxing Day match coincides with the Ashes, which the two nations have fiercely competed for since 1882.

Melbourne also hosts the Australian Grand Prix and the Australian Open, which is regularly the highest attended Grand Slam tennis tournament.

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London | UK

Where to start. Wimbledon? It is the oldest and arguably most prestigious tennis tournament in the world so it's as good a place as any. It's one of the few big sporting events where you can still buy relatively cheap tickets on the day, with queues winding out of the All England Club for hours on end.

London probably hosts every sport you can think of, so there are plenty of options if tennis isn't your thing. Wembley's the largest stadium in the UK (second in Europe behind Camp Nou) and is home to England's national football team and the FA Cup final. Football fans will be spoilt for choice in the capital, as Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham are all plying their trade in the Premier League and Women's Super League.

And if you're not a fan of football, Wembley also hosts a different kind of football – NFL matches are regularly played here and at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. For rugby fans there's Twickenham – the world's largest rugby union stadium – and cricket-wise there's the Oval and Lord's, which many consider to be the home of cricket. If you're sitting in the Pavillion End remember to bring your Sunday best, as it has a notoriously strict dress code.

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Boston | USA

Want to see all the top American sports in one trip? Boston's probably your best bet. In pretty much every major sport in the US, Boston has a highly decorated team and a passionate fanbase to match.

Basketball was invented in New England, so it's no surprise that the Boston Celtics are one of the country's most successful teams. They've won the joint most championships and the most NBA games out of anyone. They play at TD Garden, an arena they share with the Boston Bruins – the oldest active US ice hockey team in the National Hockey League.

Baseball's a big deal too. The Boston Red Sox were one of the founding members of the American League, the American branch of Major League Baseball, and after initial success they went on an infamous run of 86 years without a World Series win. They broke the drought in 2004, last winning in 2018.

And then there's the New England Patriots, who have sold out every home game at the Gillette Stadium since 1994. They dominated the NFL from 2001 to 2019, thanks in large part to their head coach Bill Belichick and legendary quarterback Tom Brady, and hold the record for most Super Bowl wins, appearances and, to be fair, losses. New England Revolution of the MLS also play there, if soccer's more your thing.

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Milan | Italy

You'll find Italy's largest stadium in Milan – the San Siro. The ground is shared by two of the country's biggest teams, A.C. Milan and Inter Milan, and has hosted the World Cup, European Cup finals and plenty of huge derby matches between the two clubs that call it home.

Plans are in place for the teams to move to a new ground, which is estimated to be completed in 2027. This could result in the San Siro being demolished in the process, so fans wanting to see this iconic stadium should head there sooner rather than later.

Just north of Milan is where you'll find the city's other sporting draw – Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, the home of the Italian Grand Prix. It's been held a record 92 times, using Monza every year except 1980 when Imola took its place.

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Paris | France

Why head to Paris? Lots of reasons, but especially for the Champs-Élysées – the finishing point for the Tour de France.

It's one of the most watched and attended sporting events in the world, and the route changes every year. Cyclists race through beautiful parts of the French countryside and mountainous trails in the Pyrenees and Alps, and even nearby countries – including Brussels, Bilbao and London. One thing that remains constant is the climax, where sprinters speed through the streets of Paris and the winner is decided after 21 gruelling stages.

Elsewhere in the city there's the French Open, the only Grand Slam tennis tournament played on clay courts, the Stade de France, home of the French national football and rugby union teams, and Parc des Princes where Paris Saint-Germain play their home games.