Where is the NFL London game played? Cost, capacity & more to know about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

American football is headed across the pond to London for one of the highlights of the NFL season, the first of five international games set for 2022.But before the Vikings and Saints rock the casbah, they’ll have to prepare themselves to play in an entirely new stadium, one that tends to host a different kind of football.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is one of the crown jewels of English soccer, equal parts parts arena and cathedral. Despite not seeing a whole heap of success from the home side since its 2019 unveiling, Tottenham’s ground is the barometer by which other new-age soccer pitches are measured.

Here’s what you need to know about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the sparkling coliseum that host this year’s first two NFL London games.

MORE: Teams, dates & times for NFL’s international games in 2022

Where is Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is located in the heart of North London, the region where Tottenham Hotspur (and rivals Arsenal) originate from.

How much did Tottenham Hotspur Stadium cost to build?

Per the BBC, Tottenham’s ground cost £1 billion to build. That makes it one of the most expensive stadiums in all of sports.

It’s still some ways away from SoFi Stadium’s $5.5 billion price tag. However, Spurs’ stadium’s cost is comparable to that of the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, also known as Jerryland, which reportedly cost around $1.5 billion to build.

How long did construction take?

Compared to other sprawling grounds developed in recent years, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s construction process was fairly quick. It took two years to build, a speedy process that allowed for Spurs to play on the field during their run to the Champions League final back in 2019.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium capacity

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium can hold up to 62,850 people, among the largest stadium capacities among Premier League grounds. 

In fact, Spurs’ home features the second-highest capacity among PL teams, only trailing Manchester United’s Old Trafford (which can host up to 74,140 people).

MORE: Premier League biggest and smallest stadiums

Despite its booming nature, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium isn’t the biggest stadium in London. That distinction goes to Wembley Stadium, which was rebuilt in 2007 and can hold up to 90,000.

Twickenham Stadium, where England’s national rugby union team plays, has a capacity of 82,000. It is also located in London.

Both Wembley and Twickenham have hosted NFL London games in the past, and Wembley will host the Broncos-Jaguars game on Oct. 30.

Special features of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham’s ground features a host of amenities designed to improve the viewer experience, including a cheese room (Lambeau Field: take notes), a tunnel club that allows some fans to look through glass panes and see their favorite players walk toward the field, and the longest bar in the UK (nearly 280 feet in length).

Perhaps the most interesting feature of Tottenham’s ground, though, is their retractable pitch. The differences between the playing surfaces used in football and soccer are numerous. As a result, the stadium implemented a fully-automated retractable field that can dovetail between soccer pitch and football field at a moment’s notice.

Here’s how it works:

Now that’s what we call innovation.

Is Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s roof retractable?

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s construction planners opted against adding a retractable roof to the arena, meaning if there’s any precipitation on the field (a real possibility in London), players will have to brave the elements.

What is Tottenham Hotspur Stadium named for?

Although the answer seems quite obvious, American sports fan may not be used to a sporting ground not having a corporate sponsor attached to it. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is named after the soccer team that calls it home, Tottenham Hotspur.

Colloquially known as Spurs, Tottenham is one of the best clubs in the Premier League. Spurs are currently ranked third in the Premier League table, just one point behind leaders — and rivals — Arsenal.

The club has had a host of Americans play for it throughout its history, including former U.S. international goalkeeper Brad Friedel and all-time USMNT leading goalscorer Clint Dempsey.

Will Tottenham Hotspur Stadium host any major international soccer tournaments?

Given its recent inception, Tottenham Hotspur’s ground hasn’t actually hosted any matches in major international tournaments. However, that could change in the coming few years. The United Kingdom is among the finalists to host Euro 2028, European soccer’s continent-wide summer tournament. If their bid is accepted, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is expected to be one of the host sites for the tournament.

It seems likely that if the United Kingdom were to place a bid for any future World Cups, Tottenham’s stadium, given its new-age nature and forward-thinking technology, would be included as a potential host stadium, too.

NFL international games 2022

There are a total of five international games on the 2022 schedule, with three in the London and one each in Munich and Mexico City.