Mapping Soccer Fields Across Europe
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
You can judge a nation’s love for football by how loud its stadiums get. But what if you judged it by how many soccer fields it has?
That’s exactly what this map does. Created by Reddit user gartn001 using data from OpenStreetMap, it shows every football pitch tagged across Europe—from grand stadiums to local community fields.
While the data from OpenStreetMap isn’t perfectly balanced across all regions—since it depends on the activity of local contributors—it still gives us a meaningful look at how widely the beautiful game is embedded in European communities.
Where the Fields Are: Top 10 Countries by Total Count
According to the map, these are the top countries in Europe by the total number of football pitches:
- Germany: 45,630
- France: 32,082
- Italy: 26,139
- England: 14,307
- Spain: 10,999
- Poland: 10,037
- The Netherlands: 7,690
- Sweden: 6,036
- Belgium: 5,633
- Austria: 5,115
And at the very end of the list? Vatican City, with zero officially tagged football pitches.
So, what do these numbers actually mean? More pitches likely suggest more organized play, more youth involvement, and a more accessible pathway into the sport. But looking at per capita figures might give us even more insight.
Beyond the Totals: Football Fields per Capita
While raw numbers tell us which countries have the most football fields overall—like Germany, France, and Italy—they don’t show how easy it is for the average person to access one. That’s where per capita data paints a more meaningful picture.
Reddit user desfirsit created a vivid map that shifts the focus to soccer fields per 1,000 inhabitants. Using hexagonal grid cells, the map calculates the number of fields and the local population in each area. Brighter colors highlight places where people enjoy more access to football fields, not just in large stadiums but also in parks, schoolyards, and open community spaces.
According to this data, the top five countries with the most football fields per person are:
- Liechtenstein
- San Marino
- Norway
- Sweden
- Denmark
These smaller or less densely populated nations stand out for how available football facilities are in everyday life. In some areas, fields are so common that almost every neighborhood seems to have one nearby. It’s a clear sign of how important the sport is to daily routines—not just as entertainment, but as something people take part in directly.
But that raises an interesting question: does easy access to a pitch actually translate into footballing greatness on the world stage?
Do More Pitches Mean More Football Success?
There’s no straight line from number of pitches to a World Cup win, but infrastructure definitely helps. Germany and France—two nations with thousands of pitches—are also known for strong youth academies and consistent international performance. Meanwhile, countries like England and Spain combine high-quality pitches with league systems that feed into elite clubs.
But success isn’t just about quantity. Countries like Croatia or Portugal don’t lead in pitch count but regularly produce top-tier talent. That points to coaching, scouting, and investment in player development as equally important pieces.
Still, without access to a field, the journey from kid with a ball to professional player can’t even begin.
