Modern football stadiums are true architectural and engineering wonders, but when it comes to pure wow factor and breathtaking views, the Field of the Gods, a humble dirt football field in Mexico, definitely takes the cake. Nestled inside an extinct volcano, surrounded by lush vegetation, this unique venue comes to life every Sunday, when it hosts matches from an amateur league in the town of Santa Cecilia Tepetlapa, in the Xochimilco district.

The Teoca Amateur League features 10 teams, each representing a single family from Santa Cecilia Tepetlapa. There is no age limit, so it’s not uncommon to see teenagers playing alongside pensioners. Although women do not currently play on the field, they take part in the spectacle of football by encouraging their favorites from the sidelines.

The Field of the Gods was born out of necessity rather than eccentricity or spirituality. Santa Cecilia Tepetlapa is surrounded by steep mountain slopes, so the nearby extinct volcano provided the straightest surface available for a football field.

Interestingly, while the pitch may look worn at first glance, its upkeep is a source of local pride, with villagers taking turns to ensure that it is in the best condition possible. They take care of everything themselves and fiercely refuse Government assistance for a very simple reason.

“We take care of it as best we can. The league is completely self-governing,” one local told the AP. “We don’t ask for municipal support because if the local government invests in this, they’ll try to claim ownership. 
This hill is communal; it belongs to the people, and we maintain it because it’s ours. By keeping the government out of it, we keep the field for ourselves.”

The Field of the Gods is just one of the several unusual football fields we have featured on Oddity Central over the years. We once wrote about a Chinese football field with a large tree growing in the middle of it, as well as about the world’s most beautiful five-a-side field, located in a lush jungle.