The UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament begins on June 14 with a match between hosts Germany and Scotland at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Berlin’s Olympiastadion will stage the final on July 14 and is also one of 10 venues to host the 16 group stage matches:
Berlin – Olympiastadion BerlinCologne – Cologne StadiumDortmund – BVB Stadion DortmundDusseldorf – Dusseldorf ArenaFrankfurt – Frankfurt ArenaGelsenkirchen – Arena AufSchalkeHamburg – Volksparkstadion HamburgLeipzig – Leipzig StadiumMunich – Munich Football ArenaStuttgart – Stuttgart Arena
A guide to the stadiums that will host Euro 2024 in Germany:
Olympiastadion – Berlin, Germany
Capacity: 71,000Inauguration: 1936Fixtures:
⚽ 15/06: Spain vs Croatia (16:00 GMT)⚽ 21/06: Poland vs Austria (16:00 GMT)⚽ 25/06: Netherlands vs Austria (16:00 GMT)⚽ 29/06: Round of 16 (16:00 GMT)⚽ 06/07: Quarterfinal (19:00 GMT)⚽ 14/07: Final (19:00 GMT)
The Olympiastadion is the oldest continuous venue used at Euro 2024 and by far, its most famous stadium in historical terms.
The stadium was built for the 1936 Olympic Games, which happened to coincide with the rise of Adolf Hitler and the ruling Nazi party.
In more modern times, Olympiastadion was used as a venue for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and is the home base for Bundesliga side, Hertha Berlin.
The famous twin pillars entrance to the Olympiastadion in Berlin [Markus Schreiber/AP Photo]
The stadium will host the final and five other matches during Euro 2024 [Markus Schreiber/AP Photo]
Cologne Stadium – Cologne, Germany
Capacity: 43,000Inauguration: 2004Fixtures:
⚽ 15/06: Hungary vs Switzerland (13:00 GMT)⚽ 19/06: Scotland vs Switzerland (19:00 GMT)⚽ 22/06: Belgium vs Romania (19:00 GMT)⚽ 25/06: England vs Slovenia (19:00 GMT)⚽ 30/06: Round of 16 (19:00 GMT)
Formerly known as Mungersdorfer Stadium, Cologne Stadium is actually the third rebuild on the site since 1923.
The latest rebuild was completed in 2004, just in time for Germany’s hosting of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The venue is home to the local Bundesliga team, FC Cologne.
The Cologne Stadium will host five Euro 2024 matches [Martin Meissner/AP Photo]
The venue is ready to welcome 43,000 fans for each match [Martin Meissner/AP Photo]
Cologne Stadium is the home venue of the Bundesliga team, FC Cologne [Rolf Vennenbernd/Reuters]
BVB Stadion Dortmund – Dortmund, Germany
Capacity: 62,000Inauguration: 1974Fixtures:
⚽ 15/06 Italy vs Albania (19:00 GMT)⚽ 18/06 Turkey vs Georgia (16:00 GMT)⚽ 22/06 Turkey vs Portugal (16:00 GMT)⚽ 25/06 France vs Poland (16:00 GMT)⚽ 29/06 Round of 16 (19:00 GMT)⚽ 10/07 Semifinal (19:00 GMT)
BVB Stadion is the home of German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund, who just competed at the UEFA Champions League final on June 1, 2024.
The stadium was originally built for Germany’s staging of the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Six fixtures were also held there during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Any Dortmund fan will tell you that the highlight of this stadium is the Yellow Wall, which is one end of the stadium where Dortmund fans congregate in great numbers to parade their famous yellow and black flags.
The BVB Stadion Dortmund will host six matches at Euro 2024 [Martin Meissner/AP Photo]
The venue will host a Euros semifinal on July 10 [Martin Meissner/AP Photo]
The BVB Stadion Dortmund can hold more than 60,000 fans for Euro 2024 matches, making it one of the tournament’s largest venues [Martin Meissner/AP Photo]
Dortmund fans form the ‘Yellow Wall’ at their home BVB Stadion [Martin Meissner/AP Photo]
Dusseldorf: Dusseldorf Arena
Capacity: 47,000Inauguration: 2004Fixtures:
⚽ 17/06: Austria vs France (19:00 GMT)⚽ 21/06: Slovakia vs Ukraine (13:00 GMT)⚽ 24/06: Albania vs Spain (19:00 GMT)⚽ 01/07: Round of 16 (16:00 GMT)⚽ 06/07: Quarterfinal (16:00 GMT)
Opened in 2004, Dusseldorf Arena is one of the few Euro 2024 stadiums not used during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The arena, more commonly known as the Merkur Spiel-Arena, will host five Euros fixtures, culminating in a quarterfinal on July 6.
Home to the second division Fortuna Dusseldorf, and situated close to the Rhein River, the arena is one of the most architecturally impressive sports venues in Europe, with a nifty retractable roof, a heating system for those cold mid-winter matches and an aesthetically pleasing and symmetrical stadium design.
An aerial view of the Dusseldorf Arena in western Germany [Ina Fassbender/AFP]
The venue is also known as the Merkur Spiel-Arena and will stage five Euro 2024 matches [Ina Fassbender/AFP]
The perfectly square symmetry of this impressive venue is home to second-division German side Fortuna Dusseldorf and also features a heating system for those chilly winter fixtures [Uwe Kraft/AFP]
Frankfurt: Frankfurt Arena
Capacity: 47,000Inauguration: 1925Fixtures:
⚽ 17/06: Belgium vs Slovakia (16:00 GMT)⚽ 20/06: Denmark vs England (16:00 GMT)⚽ 23/06: Switzerland vs Germany (19:00 GMT)⚽ 26/06: Slovakia vs Romania (16:00 GMT)⚽ 01/07: Round of 16 (19:00 GMT)
Despite its nearly 100-year history at this site, the Frankfurt Arena, also known as the Waldstadion, is a fantastic example of an evolving stadium concept with the most recent remodelling incorporating a futuristic retractable roof and updated stadium seating suitable for the demands of the modern football age.
The stadium is home to title-contending Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt, who finished the 2023/24 season in sixth place on the ladder.
An absolute highlight of a visit to Frankfurt Arena is the retractable roof that folds into a giant scoreboard.
Frankfurt Arena will host five matches at Euro 2024, including a prized Germany home fixture against Switzerland on June 23.
Frankfurt Arena, also known as the Waldstadion or Deutsche Bank Park, will host five Euro 2024 matches [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]
A standout attraction of a visit to Frankfurt Arena is the retractable roof that folds into the scoreboard, as can be seen in the photo below [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]
[Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]
Gelsenkirchen: Arena AufSchalke
Capacity: 50,000Inauguration: 2001Fixtures:
⚽ 16/06: Serbia vs England (19:00 GMT)⚽ 20/06: Spain vs Italy (19:00 GMT)⚽ 26/06: Georgia vs Portugal (19:00 GMT)⚽ 30/06: Round of 16 (13:00 GMT)
At 225,000, Gelsenkirchen is the smallest of the 10 Euro 2024 cities, but it more than makes up for it with some of the country’s most die-hard football supporters, who regularly pack out the 50,000 Arena AufSchalke, otherwise known as the Veltins-Arena.
Despite being relegated to the German second division in 2021, home club FC Schalke 04 continuously draws sold-out crowds to the venue – and the stadium is one of the most modern and best multiuse facilities in Europe, featuring a retractable roof and a retractable pitch.
Arena AufSchalke hosted the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final and staged five matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
It will host four matches at Euro 2024, including the blockbuster Group B clash between Spain and Italy on June 20.
Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen will host four matches during Euro 2024 [Ina Fassbender/AFP]
Veltins-Arena is home to second-division FC Schalke 04 [Ina Fassbender/AFP]
The venue will host Euro 2024 matches involving favourites England, Portugal and Spain [Ina Fassbender/AFP]
Hamburg: Volksparkstadion Hamburg
Capacity: 49,000Inauguration: 2000Fixtures:
⚽ 16/06: Poland vs Netherlands (13:00 GMT)⚽ 19/06: Croatia vs Albania (13:00 GMT)⚽ 22/06: Georgia vs Czechia (13:00 GMT)⚽ 26/06: Czechia vs Turkey (19:00 GMT)⚽ 05/07: Quarterfinal (19:00 GMT)
The Volksparkstadion opened in 2000 with the stadium hosting – like several other Euro 2024 venues – multiple matches during Germany’s 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The stadium is home to Hamburg SV, which is one of the Bundesliga’s founding clubs. The club was demoted to the second division in 2018.
For the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League, Volksparkstadion also served as the home stadium for Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, who are unable to play at their normal home stadium due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Volksparkstadion will host five UEFA Euro 2024 matches, including four group stage fixtures and a quarterfinal.
Volksparkstadion, situated in the northern German city of Hamburg, will host five matches at Euro 2024 [Axel Heimken/AFP]
Volksparkstadion is home to German second-division club Hamburg SV, which enjoys a large and vociferous fan base [Axel Heimken/AFP]
Leipzig: Leipzig Stadium
Capacity: 42,000Inauguration: 2004Fixtures:
⚽ 18/06: Portugal vs Czechia (19:00 GMT)⚽ 21/06: Netherlands vs France (19:00 GMT)⚽ 24/06: Croatia vs Italy (19:00 GMT)⚽ 02/07: Round of 16 (19:00 GMT)
Leipzig Stadium, or Zentralstadion, is the largest football arena in the former East Germany, with a crowd capacity of just over 40,000 for international games.
Also known by its corporate ownership name as the Red Bull Arena, the venue is home to Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, which, in 2010, took over the club naming rights following Red Bull’s takeover of the former Leipzig team, SSV Markranstadt.
The stadium is still referred to as the Zentralstadion by many fans.
In 1956, the first Zentralstadion opened and was one of the biggest stadiums in Europe at the time, holding more than 100,000 spectators.
The revamped Zentralstadion, finished in 2004, hosted five games for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
For Euro 2024, the stadium will host four games, including the much-anticipated Netherlands vs France contest on June 21, and a round of 16 fixture.
Red Bull Arena, or Zentralstadion as many locals still call the venue, is the largest football stadium in eastern Germany with seating capacity for 42,000 spectators [Odd Andersen/AFP]
A nod to the stadium’s long history, the famous bell tower was standing when the original Zentralstadion opened in 1956 [Odd Andersen/AFP]
The stadium will host four matches at Euro 2024 [Odd Andersen/AFP]
Munich: Munich Football Arena
Capacity: 66,000Inauguration: 2005Fixtures:
⚽ 14/06: Germany vs Scotland (19:00 GMT)⚽ 17/06: Romania vs Ukraine (13:00 GMT)⚽ 20/06: Slovenia vs Serbia (13:00 GMT)⚽ 25/06: Denmark vs Serbia (19:00 GMT)⚽ 02/07: Round of 16 (16:00 GMT)⚽ 09/07: Semifinal (19:00 GMT)
Munich Football Arena is Germany’s most famous modern stadium because of its eye-catching plastic panel shell exterior that spectacularly changes colour for night matches.
Better known as Allianz Arena, the venue is home to Germany’s richest and most successful club, Bayern Munich.
It was the only German stadium chosen for the COVID-delayed Euro 2020, which was co-hosted by 11 European nations.
For Euro 2024, Munich Football Arena will host a total of six games, including the tournament opener between host Germany and Scotland on June 14, as well as a semifinal on July 9.
One of the world’s great football venues. The futuristic Munich Football Arena, better known as Allianz Arena, is situated on the outskirts of the Bavarian capital, Munich [Matthias Schrader/AP Photo]
The stadium will host the opening match of Euro 2024 between host Germany and Scotland [Matthias Schrader/AP Photo]
Like a gigantic halo of light, for night matches at Euro 2024, Allianz Arena will spectacularly come to life with colour [Matthias Schrader/AP Photo]
[Matthias Schrader/AP Photo]
Stuttgart: Stuttgart Arena
Capacity: 51,000Inauguration: 1933Fixtures:
⚽ 16/06: Slovenia vs Denmark (16:00 GMT)⚽ 19/06: Germany vs Hungary (16:00 GMT)⚽ 23/06: Scotland vs Hungary (19:00 GMT)⚽ 26/06: Ukraine vs Belgium (16:00 GMT)⚽ 05/07: Quarterfinal (16:00 GMT)
The original stadium opened at this site in 1933 and has been rebuilt several times.
Stuttgart Arena has a long international footballing history, hosting matches in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Euro 1988 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart calls this place home – and they used the stadium to good effect, performing brilliantly all season and finishing second behind Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023/24 season.
Germany will play one of its three group matches here against Hungary on June 19. Stuttgart Arena, which is also known as the MHP Arena, will host one of the Euro 2024 quarterfinals.
Stuttgart Arena, otherwise known as the MHP Arena, will host five matches at Euro 2024 (Thomas Kienzle/AFP]
Stuttgart Arena has a capacity for 51,000 fans [Thomas Kienzle/AFP]
You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated Euro 2024 tournament page with all the match buildup and live text commentary, and keep up to date with group standings and real-time match results & schedules.
