The Best Football Museums in the world – Ranked
If you love football as much as we do, you’ll know there’s nothing better than marvelling at memorabilia from years gone by.
Whether it be Diego Maradona’s left boot or a strand of Carlos Valderrama’s golden hair – alright, there might not be an exhibition dedicated to the latter but there definitely should be – nothing beats a stroll around a football museum, taking in fascinating artefacts that have played a part in defining the history of the sport we love.
With that in mind, 90min have compiled a list of the greatest football museums the world has to offer, listing the top ten and picking out our number one.
10. J-Museum
As Italy’s most decorated football club, it’ll come as no surprise to you that Juventus‘ museum dedicated to their trophy-laden past is quite the spectacle.
The J-Museum in Turin combines modern technology with memorabilia from years gone by. including trophies, photos and jerseys.
Split into a number of rooms, each has a different theme relating to Juventus’ history, ranging from famous goals to a chronological rundown of the club’s achievements.
9. Anfield Museum
It’s fair to say Liverpool can rival most football clubs when it comes to former glories.
Situated inside Anfield, the club’s museum is dedicated to everything Liverpool, with their impressive six European Cups on show as well as multiple exhibitions including the Steven Gerrard Collection.
Every visitor is provided with a multimedia handset, with personalised commentary from another Liverpool legend, Phil Thompson, guiding you through the museum.
8. Camp Nou Experience
Since 1984, the Camp Nou Experience has been delighting fans from all over the globe, with more than 1.5m visitors every year.
The museum contains a whole host of brilliant pieces, ranging from recently won trophies to jerseys worn by stars of the past such as Johan Cruyff.
The interactive room offers a chance to look back at some of the glorious Barcelona teams of the past, while the location of the museum at the heart of Camp Nou means there’s an incredible panoramic view of the stadium.
7. Museo del Calcio, Florence
If VR headsets and bluetooth speakers (or whatever it is the kids love these days) are your thing, then Museo del Calcio in Florence isn’t for you.
However, if you long for the days of the past when the magnificent Alessandro Del Piero graced a football pitch with all the elegance of a ballroom dancer, and Paolo Maldini turned defending into an art form, then step right up.
Museo del Calcio possesses a whole host of memorabilia from Italian football’s history, with each of the six rooms containing a different exhibition.
6. Museu CR7, Funchal
The first of our offerings focusing solely on one footballer – and in fairness to him, he’s pretty fascinating.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become more of a brand than a footballer, meaning the CR7 museum in Funchal (Madeira) is packed with interesting memorabilia.
Photographs, videos, match worn shirts, there’s even a waxwork of the great man (bit weird), but strange artwork aside it’s well worth the visit.
5. Maradona Museum, Naples
Again, for those of you looking for high-tech gadgets – this isn’t the place for you. In fact, you’ll do well to even find this modest trove of artefacts, but if you can find it then you’ve struck gold.
The Maradona Museum pays tribute to the mischievous yet incredible Argentinian, with a plethora of artefacts including the left boot he scored twice with against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup semi-final, and even the contract he signed when moving to Napoli in 1984.
4. Real Madrid Museum
To say the Real Madrid museum’s trophy collection offers the wow factor would be something of an understatement. No fewer than 13 European Cups stand proudly on display.
Situated in the Santiago Bernabeu, the exhibition offers the chance to experience the professional footballer lifestyle, with interactive features placing you on the team bus as you’re transported to the ground.
Interactive nonsense aside, it’s full of quality memorabilia and definitely worth a viewing.
3. National Football Museum, Manchester
Now you’re talking.
Home to 2,500 artefacts and no fewer than 140,000 photographs, posters and paintings, the National Football Museum in Manchester is a cathedral for any football enthusiast.
While English football is the main subject of the exhibitions on show, legendary Real Madrid forward Alfredo Di Stefano also has a section dedicated to him, with the shirt he wore to win the 1960 European Cup final on display.
2. German Football Museum, Dortmund
C’mon, as if you ever thought the Germans weren’t going to do this properly.
Sat opposite Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park, the German Football Museum is a microcosm of German football, starting off in 1954 with West Germany’s World Cup triumph, before transporting you through the ages as their quest for glory continued.
If all that German fanfare is too much for you, there’s always the option of just replaying the 1966 World Cup final over and over again and refusing to move onto the next room.
1. FIFA World Football Museum, Zurich
Our number one football museum is Zurich’s FIFA World Football Museum.
While exhibitions dedicated to particular clubs, countries and players are of course brilliant, is there anything better than a museum that just celebrates football?
With videos, photographs, trophies and countless other pieces of memorabilia that have helped to shape the footballing landscape, the FIFA World Football Museum is truly the pinnacle. A celebration of everything we love about the beautiful game.
Written by Ross Jackson
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
