Renamed after revolution to the English translation of ‘freedom’, the noise the Azadi Stadium can generate on match day is out of this world. Not only does it hold the record attendance for the biggest-ever crowd for a World Cup qualifier (a remarkable 130,000) but it houses other facilities, too – including a swimming pool. Esteghlal and Persepolis – two clubs in play their home games inside the Azadi Stadium, and share that honour with the national team when necessary. The conversion to all-seater stadiums meant the overall capacity of the ground had to decrease, but over 78,000 fans can still attend matches there.
