Although more than 17 years have passed since the 2006 World Cup, Germany's stadiums from that tournament are still standing. As it turns out, only 3 of the 12 arenas hosting the 2006 World Cup will not be seen at the upcoming European Championships. Which stadiums are involved?

World Cup 2006 and European Championship 2024 - as many as 9 venues in common

Which World Cup 2006 stadiums are also among the arenas hosting the EURO? Well, we could go on for a long time... There are as many as nine venues, which are located in Munich, Dortmund, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Cologne, Leipzig and Stuttgart. This means that Germany has managed to secure two of football's biggest tournaments in one go. Which of the 12 World Cup stadiums from 17 years ago were left out when the arenas for the EURO were chosen?

One of these is the stadium in Hanover. The venue was built in 1954, but underwent a complete reconstruction before the 2006 World Cup. About 75 per cent of the old structure was destroyed then, leaving only part of the west main stand. Before the renovation, the arena housed many more fans. Called Niedersachsenstadion at the time, it could accommodate up to 86,000 spectators in stands supported by the ramparts.

The second of the stadiums that hosted the World Cup but was not chosen for the upcoming EURO is Fritz-Walter-Stadion. The arena did not host the biggest blockbusters in 2006, but certainly one of the more exotic matches - the encounter between Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago. Last among the omitted venues is the stadium in Nürnberg. It is very likely that it will be upgraded soon. It seems that the authorities saw how serious the need for renovation was when Nuremberg was not chosen to host the next tournament. Unfortunately for the Bavarian city, the 'EURO 2024' train has already departed.

© Benjamin Radzun (cc: by-sa) | Heinz von Heiden-Arena

One new-old stadium for EURO 2024

Since as many as nine venues that hosted the 2006 World Cup have been selected to host the EURO and UEFA requires 10 tournament stadiums, we are still missing one arena. That lacking element in Germany's stadium bid is Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf. This inconspicuous, rectangular venue seats as many as 54,600 fans. At the time of its opening, it was one of the most modern in the world due to its retractable roof over the stands, but despite this, it was not among the stadiums for the 2006 World Cup. Interestingly, the stadium has served twice as the home venue of the national team of... Portugal. Perhaps Ronaldo and co. will play there again soon.

Construction of this arena began in 2002 on the site of the former Rheinstadion, right on the banks of the Rhine. The project was designed by the renowned JSK studio. In keeping with the architects' vision, the elliptical building was 'enclosed' by a translucent rectangular façade. A station for the city's railway system is located underneath one of the stands, and a hotel is integrated into the stadium.

© Jörg Wiegels (cc: by) | Merkur Spiel-Arena

Everything you need to know about EURO 2024

So, a tournament atmosphere, all matches in one country, full stands and the best footballers in Europe - who can't wait for EURO 2024? In anticipation of this, we have already prepared a tournament page for this championship, where you will find not only all EURO stadiums. We have also described all the cities in which the national teams will play, as well as answered fans' most pressing questions about the tournament. See also the video, which describes all the stadiums and the regions where they are located.