A guide to the Euro 2020 venues
By the end of the month, the Euro 2020 groups will be confirmed – with play-off matches taking place on March 26th and 31st.
If you’re betting on UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers, both Bosnia & Herzegovina and Hungary appear good value. All focus and anticipation will then turn to the main tournament, which is being multi-hosted by 12 nations, in celebration of 60 years of European Championships. Let’s take a look at the venues that have been selected.
London: Wembley Stadium
Football tips predict England to go all the way, and what a fitting finale it would be with Wembley staging the Final. With a capacity of 90,000, the stadium is considered the home of English football, hosting international matches, as well as the League Cup Final, the FA Cup semis and Final, and the play-off Finals across all divisions. Wembley has hosted two Champions League Finals in the past and last September, it was announced the London venue will stage the 2023 Final.
Munich: Allianz Arena
Germany’s second-largest stadium opened in 2005 and is the spiritual home of Bundesliga club, Bayern Munich. The 75,000-capacity arena will host a quarter-final match, in addition to three group games. The Allianz Arena was previously one of the stadia selected for the 2006 World Cup, hosting five matches including a semi-final. A decade on from staging the Champions League Final between Bayern and Chelsea, the Munich arena will host the 2022 Final.
Rome: Stadio Olimpico
Since its opening in 1937, the Stadio Olimpico has undergone several renovations. It is the largest arena in Italy, not only hosting football matches, but the Italian rugby team too. For over 50 years, great footballing rivals Roma and Lazio have played their football at the Stadio Olimpico. In terms of international football, the 72,698-seater stadium famously hosted the 1990 World Cup Final, after it was rebuilt for the occasion.
Baku: Olympic Stadium
After successfully staging the Europa League Final between Arsenal and Chelsea last year, the 68,700-capacity Olympic Stadium in Baku was selected for three group games and a quarter-final at Euro 2020. A relatively new area, which opened in 2015, it’s home to the Azerbaijani national team, although in the past, Qarabağ have played European fixtures there too – most notably, in the 2017-18 season.
Budapest: Puskás Aréna
Hungary may not yet have qualified for the tournament, but they are one of the host nations. The Puskás Aréna was only opened in November last year, replacing the Ferenc Puskás Stadium, which was built on the same site – with both stadiums paying tribute to former Hungarian international Ferenc Puskás. The national team are the ground’s only tenants and a friendly between Hungary and Uruguay officially opened the arena. At Euro 2020, it will stage three group games and a round of 16 tie.
Amsterdam: Johan Cruyff Arena
Since its opening in 1996, the Johan Cruyff Arena has been the spiritual home of Eredivisie side Ajax. The largest stadium in the Netherlands with a capacity of 54,990 was officially named in honour of the legendary Dutch footballer in 2018, following his death two years previous. It was one of the stadiums used during Euro 2000 and has also held both Champions League and Europa League Finals in the past. The Johan Cruyff Arena will stage three group games and a round of 16 tie at Euro 2020.
Copenhagen: Parken Stadium
The Danish capital is home to this 38,065-seater stadium, which is where both FC Copenhagen and the Denmark national team play their football. It was built in 1992 and has since undergone a number of renovations. On June 13th, the Parken Stadium will host its first ever European Championship match, when Denmark play Finland. However, Parken previously hosted the 2000 UEFA Cup Final and it was the venue for the famous Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack.
Dublin: Aviva Stadium
Ireland have not yet qualified, but if they were to, they would be guaranteed two home group games as the Aviva will host four Euro 2020 fixtures. The stadium is home to both the Irish rugby team and the Republic of Ireland football team, with both national sides tenants since the stadium’s opening in 2010. The 51,700-capacity stadium previously hosted the all-Portuguese Europa League Final in 2011.
Glasgow: Hampden Park
The current Hampden Park was built in 1902 and when it first opened, it was the biggest stadium in the world, with a capacity of 100,000. It has since been reduced to 52,063 but still, the iconic Hampden Roar is evident and echoes around the bowl. Since its opening, Hampden has been home to Queen’s Park, the oldest club in Scottish football and it is, of course, where the national team play their matches. Scotland are currently awaiting their place at Euro 2020 via the play-offs, but Hampden will host four matches, including a round 16 fixture.
Bilbao: San Mamés
The nuevo San Mamés replaced the old stadium of the same name in 2013 and it is home to La Liga club Athletic Bilbao. When it first opened, the stadium was also where Bilbao’s B team played their football, but they have since moved to the first team’s training ground, Lezama. Spain will play all of their Euro 2020 group games in the Basque Country, while the San Mamés will also host a round of 16 match. The stadium is the largest in the region with a capacity of 53,289. The old San Mamés was one of the 1982 World Cup venues but it will be the first time the new stadium hosts a major football tournament.
Bucharest: Arena Națională
The Arena Națională in the Romanian capital is another relatively new stadium, which replaced the former Stadionul Național in 2011. The 55,600-seater stadium hosts domestic and international football, with its tenants including FCSB, although Dinamo play some significant games there too. The arena hosted the Europa League Final in 2012 and has been handed a quarter-final match at Euro 2020 in addition to three group games. Romania are hoping they make June’s finals via the upcoming play-offs.
Saint Petersburg: Krestovsky Stadium
Finally, the Krestovsky Stadium has hosted plenty of football since opening in April 2017. The stadium was originally built and opened for the FIFA Confederations Cup, while it was more recently one of the venues for the 2018 World Cup, held in Russia. Zenit Saint Petersburg are the Krestovksy’s main tenants, although the national team play selected matches there too. Next year’s Champions League Final will also be staged at the stadium, beating the Allianz Arena in Munich to the honour.