Euro 2024 gets underway on Friday, with plenty of eyes on the 10 venues playing host to games over the course of the tournament.
Host nation Germany kick things off as they take on Scotland, while Gareth Southgate’s England get their own campaign underway against Serbia on Sunday, By Tuesday night, all 24 teams will have got minutes under their belts.
That opener will be held at the home of Bayern Munich, one of the venues opened in time for the 2006 World Cup. Nine of the 10 stadiums used this year were also used then, when hosts Germany reached the semi-finals and Italy beat France in the final.
So, where will all the games be played at Euro 2024? Here, Mirror Football takes a closer look at where the 24 teams will be playing their matches this summer, with all grounds free of their usual sponsor-related names.
Frankfurt – Frankfurt Arena
Frankfurt is home to big business, plenty of skyscrapers and an impressive stadium, the Frankfurt Arena. The 47,000-capacity venue has been around for almost a century and hosts Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, boasting several upgrades since its construction in 1925.
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England will face Denmark here in their second group stage fixture on 20 June, with hosts Germany taking on Switzerland in the same surroundings three days later. One of the stadium’s most notable features is its convertible-style retractable roof but it has been known to leak streams of water in the past due to defects. The Arena has hosted immense sporting moments, including Muhammad Ali against Karl Mildenberger in 1966.
Hamburg – Volksparkstadion Hamburg
A blend of rich history and innovation makes the Volksparkstadion Hamburg a venue to behold. Based in Germany’s second-largest city, the stadium first opened its gates in 1953 but was demolished, rotated 90 degrees and modernised in 1996.
At Euro 2024, the stadium will hold 49,000 on a matchday, which includes a quarter-final tie on 5 July. The stadium made its major tournament bow at the 1974 World Cup and also hosted matches at the 1988 Euros – providing the backdrop to West Germany’s semi-final defeat against the Netherlands – along with five games at the 2006 World Cup.
Dusseldorf – Dusseldorf Arena
One of the newer stadiums on the Euro 2024 list, the Düsseldorf Arena perches on the river Rhine. Completed in 2004 to replace the former Rheinstadion on the same site, the stadium was one of the first to be ‘wrapped in mesh’, creating a cuboid exterior despite its rounded interior.
Fortuna Dusseldorf play their home matches at the stadium, which has also hosted a variety of other sporting events including Tyson Fury ’s bout with Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, which Fury won on points. Dusseldorf will host a quarter-final and a round of 16 tie at the start of July, with Coldplay visiting the stadium for three tour dates later the same month.
Cologne – Cologne Stadium
England’s final group stage tie against Slovenia will be played in Germany’s oldest major city. Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Queen have all performed at the Cologne Stadium but this summer it will be Euro 2024’s rock stars lighting up the 43,000 matchday capacity venue.
It is the third stadium to be built on the site following the Müngersdorfer Stadion in 1923, which was constructed after fortifications of the city were removed under the Treaty of Versailles. Home to FC Köln, the stadium also hosted England’s 2-2 draw with Sweden at the 2006 World Cup, most notable for Joe Cole’s stunning volley.
Leipzig – Leipzig Stadium
Leipzig Stadium’s state-of-the-art roof was specially designed to provide superior acoustics, and we should witness this in action during three blockbuster group matches – including Netherlands against France on June 21. The stadium was built between 1954 and 1956 and can welcome up to 100,000 spectators.
Formerly known as Zentralstadion, the matchday capacity will be 40,000 this summer and the arena will also host a round of 16 contest. The venue was still known as Zentralstadion when it staged the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup and matches at the World Cup the following year – including Argentina’s round-of-16 win over Mexico – and has been the home of RB Leipzig since 2010.
Berlin – Olympiastadion
The host of the Euro 2024 final, Berlin’s Olympiastadion is also the biggest venue for this summer’s tournament with a 71,000 capacity. Known for the big occasion, the stadium hosted the 1936 Olympics, from which it got its name, and the 2006 World Cup final between Italy and France
Zinedine Zidane famously headbutted Marco Materazzi on that occasion, and players on both sides will hope to keep their cool when the trophy is on the line come July 14. The city of Berlin itself is one of Europe’s most visited destinations and will provide a chance for fans to brush up on their history as well as soaking up the major tournament atmosphere.
Munich – Munich Football Arena
Munich will get Euro 2024 underway when hosts Germany take on Scotland on 14 June. The 66,000-capacity stadium is well remembered by English fans as the scene of Chelsea ’s 2012 Champions League triumph, and it will host four group games.
England are only likely to make it to Munich if they finish as runners-up in their group, with that knockout path potentially setting up a semi-final in Germany’s third-biggest city. Three Lions captain Harry Kane would feel right at home, however, with the ground acting as the home of Bayern Munich, while anyone feeling homesick can visit the English Garden, a huge inner-city park.
Dortmund – BVB Stadion Dortmund
The famous Yellow Wall will more resemble a rainbow this summer with Dortmund hosting six different teams during the group stages. Italy get their title defence underway in Borussia Dortmund’s home when they take on Albania on 15 June.
France, Turkey, Portugal and Poland all also make appearances before Dortmund hosts a round of 16 and a semi-final, with England potentially involved in the latter if they make it that far. With so many fans set to descend on the heart of the Ruhr region, there will be plenty of visits to the German Football Museum, which opened in 2015.
Stuttgart – Stuttgart Arena
The home of VFB Stuttgart, who are coming off a runner-up finish in the Bundesliga, the 54,000-capacity Stuttgart Arena will host five games at Euro 2024. Scotland’s final group game against Hungary will take place there, while hosts Germany will also play in the city known for fast cars as well as football.
Stuttgart is home to the bases of both Mercedes and Porsche, with the south-western city in considered an industrial hub. The Arena, which was built in 1933, used to also be used for athletics before becoming football-specific in 2009. England have played there twice in major tournaments, losing 1-0 to Ireland at Euro 88 and beating Ecuador by the same scoreline at the 2006 World Cup.
Gelsenkirchen – Arena AufSchalke
England will return to the scene of their defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo ’s Portugal in the 2006 World Cup when they play at the Arena AufSchalke. The Three Lions’ opening game will be held in Gelsenkirchen, with England taking on Serbia in the 50,000-seater stadium, which is also hosting Spain’s group stage clash against Italy on June 20.
The home of FC Schalke 04, there has not been much to cheer by way of football in recent years with the sleeping giants now languishing in Bundesliga 2. Gelsenkirchen takes its nickname ‘city of a thousand fires’ from its history as a major mining region.
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