ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

UEFA stadium categories

Imagine you're playing a game of soccer with your friends in your backyard. Now let's say your neighbor has a much bigger backyard with official goal posts, a fancy scoreboard, and even seats for family and friends to watch the game comfortably.

Similarly, stadiums where professional soccer games are played can also vary in size, features, and safety measures. UEFA, which stands for Union of European Football Associations, has created a categorization system to help standardize the requirements for stadiums hosting their competitions.

The categories range from 1 to 4, with category 4 being the highest standard. This means that a category 4 stadium will have the most advanced features and technology, as well as the highest level of safety measures.

Some of the criteria that determine a stadium's category include the number of seats, the distance between the field and the spectators, the lighting and sound systems, the quality of the field, the presence of medical facilities, and the accessibility for disabled fans.

So, when you hear about a stadium's category, it's basically a way of knowing how advanced and safe it is compared to other stadiums. Just like you might want to play in your neighbor's backyard with the fancier features, professional soccer teams prefer to play in category 4 stadiums where they can give their best performances and their fans can enjoy the game safely.