Many children and teenagers enjoy building with Lego pieces, as it provides entertainment and aids in the development of motor skills.
However, 14-year-old Joe Bryant has taken this hobby to the next level. Born in Crawley, Sussex, located 28 miles from London, Joe combined his passion for football with his creativity and skill in building with Lego.
As a result, he has created over 15 replica stadiums of various football clubs, with most being from Bundesliga teams. Some of these teams have even invited Joe to present his Lego replicas at their real stadiums.
Mainz
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In March 2019, Joe constructed a Lego replica of the MEWA Arena (formerly known as the OPEL Arena). Mainz shared Joe’s creation on their official Instagram page and also invited him to a game to display the Lego stadium in front of fans. The MEWA Arena can hold over 34,000 spectators.
Werder Bremen
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Joe used over 4000 Lego bricks to construct the Weserstadion and won the hearts of Werder Bremen‘s fanbase. Bremen even posted a YouTube video featuring an interview with Bryant and showcasing his stadium replica.
Bremen invited Joe to showcase his Lego stadium at the real stadium, where all 42,000 fans could see it. Bremen took it a step further by currently displaying the Lego stadium at the club’s museum.
Hertha Berlin
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Hertha Berlin‘s stadium was one of the most challenging ones that Joe had to build. The Olympiastadion is one of the largest stadiums in Germany, with a capacity of more than 74,000 people.
However, Joe took on the challenge and built a Lego masterpiece. Hertha also invited him to the Olympiastadion, which will host the 2024 Euros final.
Bochum
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In late 2019, Bryant constructed the Vonovia Ruhrstadion, which serves as the home stadium for VFL Bochum. Initially, the stadium could accommodate over 49,000 spectators. However, over the years, several modifications were made, which reduced the capacity to 26,000.
On January 8th, 2020, Joe received an invitation to the Ruhrstadion. During his visit, he displayed the Lego model of the stadium to the fans, witnessed a live match, and was interviewed on the sidelines.
Anderlecht
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When Joe started building stadiums out of Lego, he chose to recreate the home stadium of Belgian club RSC Anderlecht, which is one of the largest teams in the country.
In December 2018, Joe revealed his Lego replica of Lotto Park, which has a seating capacity of 21,500 fans. Anderlecht not only invited the young builder to attend one of their home games but also displayed his replica in their official fan shop.
Stuttgart
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Although Joe constructed the Mercedes-Benz Arena some years ago, he made some modifications and enhancements to it this year. In March, Bryant revealed the updated version of the VFB Stuttgart stadium, which can accommodate up to 54,000 spectators.
The recent modifications to the stadium were made in preparation for the 2024 Euros. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe couldn’t attend a game at the stadium in Stuttgart, but the club sent him a home jersey as a gesture of appreciation.
Freiburg
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Joe began constructing a Lego replica of the Europa-Park Stadion, which serves as the home stadium of SC Freiburg, in November 2019. He completed the project before the end of the year, but due to the pandemic, he was unable to visit Freiburg in 2020.
Despite this, the club did not forget about Joe. In August 2022, Freiburg extended an invitation to him to attend a home game and display his Lego replica in the actual stadium, which can accommodate over 34,700 fans.
Borussia Dortmund
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Building a Lego replica of the Westfalenstadion, which is the home stadium of Borussia Dortmund, proved to be Joe Bryant’s most daunting challenge. As the largest stadium in Germany, it can accommodate more than 81,000 fans, and Joe had to put in a lot of effort to construct it.
Despite the difficulties, Joe worked his magic and completed the Yellow Wall’s home during the pandemic in 2020. Dortmund showed their appreciation for the young builder by featuring him in the club’s magazine, Borussini.
Augsburg
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In 2019, Joe constructed the stadium of Augsburg, which was one of his initial creations and helped generate buzz around his Lego stadiums, leading to him going viral.
The WWK Arena, which serves as the home stadium of Augsburg, has a seating capacity of over 30,000 fans. Although Bryant has attended several games of Augsburg in Germany, the majority of them were away matches.
Wolfsburg
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Joe revealed his Lego replica of the Volkswagen Arena, the home stadium of Wolfsburg, in December 2020. The stadium has a seating capacity of approximately 30,000 fans.
Although it doesn’t appear that Bryant has visited the stadium in Wolfsburg, it may not be long before he has the opportunity to travel there and attend a home game.
Union Berlin
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The Stadion An der Alten Försterei, which can accommodate more than 22,000 fans, is arguably one of the most beautiful stadiums in the Bundesliga in terms of its architecture. Its picturesque appearance made it a challenging task for Joe to recreate in Lego.
However, Joe revealed his Lego replica of Union Berlin‘shome stadium in 2021. The following year, the club invited him to the stadium to display his creation and even gifted him a jersey as a token of appreciation.
Bayer Leverkusen
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Another one of Joe’s early creations was a Lego replica of the Bay Arena, the home stadium of Leverkusen. The stadium has a seating capacity of over 30,000 fans.
Although he was not officially invited to the arena, Bryant managed to attend a home game during the 2019-2020 season. Bayer also gave him a shout-out on social media, featuring his Lego creation.
Eintracht Frankfurt
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In 2021, Joe announced that he would be recreating the Waldstadion in Lego. The stadium is home to Eintracht Frankfurt and has a seating capacity of over 51,000 fans. It is also known for having one of the most passionate fan bases in the Bundesliga.
During the same season, Eintracht Frankfurt won the Europa League, and Joe was considered one of their lucky charms. As a result, the club invited him to the stadium, and his Lego replica of the Waldstadion is currently on display in the team’s museum.
Koln
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According to his YouTube channel, the recreation of FC Koln was the second Bundesliga stadium that Joe built. He unveiled the Lego replica of the Rhein Energie Stadium in September 2017.
The stadium has a capacity of more than 50,000 people. Although he wasn’t officially invited, Joe visited the stadium in 2017.
Schalke 04
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Last but not least, Joe also created the Lego replica of Veltins Arena when he was only 9 years old. Schalke‘shome ground has a capacity of more than 62,000 fans.
However, it wasn’t a challenge for little Joe, who recreated it without any issues. The club even invited him to the arena to showcase his Lego creation in front of the home crowd.
