On June 14, the best soccer nations of Europe will fly their teams to Germany to compete for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, with ten cities chosen to host the games.
We’ll see the action unfold in the well-known cities of Berlin, Cologne, and Munich, as well as in other popular tourist destinations like Gelsenkirchen and Düsseldorf.
So, in preparation for colossal clashes featuring Germany, France, Belgium, England, Portugal, Spain, and the reigning champions, Italy, here’s your breakdown of the Euro 2024 host cities and stadiums.
Allianz Arena, Munich
The home of Bayern Munich, and sometimes the German national football team, seats 70,000 spectators and stands as one of the most prestigious stadiums in Europe.
While the official national stadium would usually be used as the host for the opening ceremonies and first game, it’s the Allianz Arena that’ll host Germany versus Scotland on June 14 in Munich.
The most southerly of the Euro 2024 stadiums will be a sell-out for that game, especially as the hosts are at -450 to defeat the +1200 Scots in the betting.
Olympiastadion, Berlin
Originally built in 1936, the Olympiastadion is Germany’s go-to stage for major national and international events, being perfectly situated in the nation’s capital and boasting a capacity of 74,667.
The home of 2. Bundesliga side Hertha BSC is a historic venue that’s welcomed the FIFA World Cup twice, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the UEFA Champions League Final, the Olympic Games, and always stages the DFB-Pokal Final.
Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Home of Borussia Dortmund and the iconic yellow wall, the Westfalenstadion features standing and seated capacity for Bundesliga games, which amounts to over 81,000 fans.
However, for international games, it has to be seated, so that count comes down to 65,849 seats. This will only make tickets even more valuable, seeing as the stadium will host Italy, Portugal, and France in the group stage alone.
MHP Arena, Stuttgart
Another stadium that shrinks its capacity a bit for international meets, the MHP Arena in Stuttgart goes from a 60,449 total capacity to a 54,906-seated arena when the German national team comes by.
That said, in the 1950s, the home of VfB Stuttgart could hold over 97,000 fans, which it did for a Germany game against Switzerland at the start of that decade.
Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen
Created as the home of Schalke 04 close by the old and famed Parkstadion, Arena AufSchalke first opened in 2001 and was swiftly chosen to host the UEFA Champions League Final in 2004.
Uniquely, it’s a retractable roof venue, which also allowed it to welcome the 2010 IIHF World Championship.
For the hockey, 77,803 people fit into the arena, but for the Euros, the capacity will cap out at 54,740 seats.
Waldstadion, Frankfurt
Standing since 1925, the home of Eintracht Frankfurt is just one part of a sprawling sports complex encompassing everything from a swimming pool to a beach volleyball court.
The Waldstadion is an integral part of Frankfurt and most recently hosted the NFL as part of the league’s international series. For Euro 2024, it’ll seat 53,800 spectators.
Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
When it was opened after a full rebuild, The People’s Park Stadium – as it translates to – held as many as 75,000 people, but as regulations led to renovations, it’s now a 51,500-seat arena for international soccer games.
Still, Volksparkstadion is an impressive stadium and was made iconic by the large clock put up on its northwest corner – representing Hamburger SV’s then permanent place in the Bundesliga.
Merkur Spiel-Arena, Düsseldorf
A retractable roof, within walking distance of the river Rhine, and the home of Fortuna Düsseldorf: the Merkur Spiel-Arena has a lot going for it and might just be one of the more scenic arenas set to host Euro 2024.
Opened in 2004 for a grand cost of €240 million, it’s certainly one of the newer venues at the tournament, but locals will be treated to early views of some of the most successful teams in the competition.
France and Spain, at +350 and +700, respectively, to win Euro 2024 in the soccer odds will play group games at Merkur Spiel-Arena before the stadium also features in the Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals.
RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne
Many historic sites in German football will be showcased at Euro 2024, but few are as important as the stadium built here in Cologne.
The original Müngersdorfer Stadion is hailed for helping to stabilize the country and develop as an economic powerhouse after World War I.
Now, it’s the home ground of FC Köln, and has been since 1948. On a regular match day, the RheinEnergieStadion will welcome 50,000 fans through its gates, but will be cuffed to just under 46,000 for Euro 2024.
Red Bull Arena, Leipzig
The Red Bull Arena is an incredibly prominent site in German football.
The rampant success of old East Germany side RB Leipzig has enabled the once-cut-off part of the county to revel in Bundesliga soccer.
Now, the Red Bull Arena looks to stand as East Germany’s stake in Euro 2024. Seating 42,600 people for the tournament, it’ll welcome Portugal, Netherlands, France, Croatia, and Italy in the opening stages.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to Alamy*
