NFL franchise's former home hosted uncomfortable World Cup first before $1.8 trillion company stepped in

The Pontiac Silverdome once stood as one of America's great sporting venues.

With a seating capacity of 82,600, it was home to the Detroit Lions from 1975 to 2001, and was the largest stadium in the NFL until FedExField expanded its capacity to over 85,000 at the turn of the millennium.

The Lions shared the Silverdome, which cost $330 million to build ($55.7m in 1975 adjusted for inflation), with the Detroit Pistons for a decade between 1978 and 1988.

While glory widely eluded the two teams during their tenures in Pontiac -- the Lions failed to reach the Super Bowl and the Pistons won their first NBA Championship a year after moving out -- the Silverdome remains iconic to many.

It also hosted plenty of other massive events, including WrestleMania III -- which boasted a record