AN iconic World Cup stadium lies abandoned in the heart of a US city and is now close to being completely demolished.
The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium was the home of sport in Washington from 1961.
But it closed its doors to players and fans for the final time seven years ago.
In its glory days, the stadium had a capacity of between 45,596 and 56,692 depending on which sport was in action.
It hosted nine Olympic football matches in 1996 and five World Cup games two years earlier, including a Round of 16 tie.
The ground was the home of MLS side DC United and where the United States national team played regularly.
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Baseball sides the Washington Senators and Nationals, as well as the NFL outfit the Commanders, also had spells as tenants.
But the RFK Stadium doesn’t just have a place in sports history, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd and Foo Fighters all performed iconic gigs at the arena.
Despite its prestigious past, the stadium has been left to rot and has fallen into disrepair in recent years.
Asbestos and lead paint were discovered at the venue with its infrastructure ageing rapidly.
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The cost of maintenance spiralled out of control and a decision was made to knock the stadium down in 2019.
City chiefs say the cost of keeping the venue up to modern standards was £2.7m per year and the price of demolition is £15.8m.
After multiple setbacks over the removal of dangerous materials, bulldozers finally entered in October 2023.
Work begins from the inside to tear down the stadium.
Meanwhile, fans have been able to purchase seats in an auction and a 24 hour live stream of its demolition is expected to appear online.
Teams like DC United and the Washington Nations have built new separate grounds elsewhere.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
