Leeds United’s redeveloped Elland Road in line to stage major sporting event
Leeds United could be set to complete developments to Elland Road, ready to play a part in a major event.
The Whites revealed their plans to improve their home stadium in late April to help bring the capacity up from 37,645 to up to 56,500.
This represents a huge boost for the LS11 club, especially after achieving promotion to the Premier League under Daniel Farke this season.
There will be hope that the redevelopment can help Leeds maintain their spot in the top tier, and it also looks set to be utilised in a major event in the coming years.
Leeds United to make Elland Road tournament-ready venue
As it stands, Elland Road is one of the best stadiums in England for atmosphere, but ranks outside of the top 12 biggest English football.
This sees the likes of Sunderland’s Stadium of Light and Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough rank above the West Yorkshire ground right now in terms of capacity.
| Club | Stadium | Capacity |
| Sunderland | Stadium of Light | 48,707 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | Hillsborough Stadium | 39,732 |
| Leeds United | Elland Road | 37,890 |
That could all change after the alterations to the arena would place the LS11 ground at a capacity closer to Manchester City.
These changes could be set to make Elland Road a venue worthy of being utilised in the 2035 Women’s World Cup.
The Times reported on 16 May that the stadium developments in Leeds could see their home join the list of the 16 venues ready for the summer tournament in 10 years’ time.
This comes as the organisers of the Fifa tournament are keen to utilise new or updated stadiums where possible, making the Whites’ arena a contender to feature in the tournament.
Leeds need Elland Road expansion to grow
The way that football is right now, finances and PSR requirements are massive and need to be right to move forward in the Premier League.
Although this can be done with big-name player sales, having a generally positive revenue stream from your own stadium is certainly a boost.
This will help the Whites keep hold of key players rather than being forced to sell them, just as they did with Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville last season.
As a result, increasing capacity by nearly 20,000 will only represent positivity for Paraag Marathe and the 49ers in their mission to succeed in Yorkshire.