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SEWelcome to the Arena AufSchalke in the vibrant city of Gelsenkirchen, which will be a central hub for the upcoming European Championship 2024 football tournament. This great venue is ready to host four huge matches in the 2024 championship. Known for its stunning architecture and impressive capacity, Arena AufSchalke will be a superb place to visit for Euro Cup fans this summer.
In this comprehensive European Championship 2024 article, we explore the venue’s significance for the competition, its capacity, and the mouth-watering matches it will host during the 2024 European Championships. Support your nation and immerse yourself in the football celebration as we take a look at the impressive Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen.
Key Facts About the European Championships 2024 Arena in Gelsenkirchen
Arena AufSchalke opened in 2001 with a construction cost of €191 million. It was built as a multi-functional stadium, with 72 VIP lounges and a retractable roof. The stadium, which took three years to build, has become one of Germany’s most recognisable arenas over the past two decades.
The venue has been Schalke’s home since opening in 2001. The club celebrated their 1996-97 European Cup success by moving ahead with plans for a new state-of-the-art venue. Four years later, Schalke moved from Gluckauf-Kampfbahn into their stunning new home.
Due to its modern design, Arena AufSchalke is one of the best multi-use stadiums in Europe. It has a retractable roof and a slide-out pitch, which allows for all sorts of sporting events and music concerts.
Nine years after opening, the venue staged the 2010 IIHF World Championship. There were 77,000 fans in attendance for the opening game of the tournament, which remains a stadium record.
Arena AufSchalke has also hosted NFL Europe games, the World Bowl, stock car events, and athletics. The World Heavyweight Championship boxing bout between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev also took place in the Gelsenkirchen arena.
Motorcycle speedway has been held at Arena AufSchalke, including the 2007 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany. To celebrate the 100th Grand Prix, a one-off race was billed as “the richest minute in sport”, with the winner picking up $100,000 in prize money. Swedish rider Andreas Jonsson won the race.
Arena AufSchalke has also hosted several sell-out music concerts over the years. The likes of Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones, U2, AC/DC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Biffy Clyro have all performed at the stadium.
The arena was also used for the Champions League final in 2004. Jose Mourinho’s Porto were celebrating at the final whistle after a comfortable 3-0 victory over Monaco.
Germany was the chosen host for the World Cup in 2006, and Arena AufSchalke was one of the biggest stadiums used in the finals. In total, there were five World Cup games held in Gelsenkirchen, including England’s famous quarter-final tie with Portugal. A crowd of 52,000 watched as the English crashed to a gut-wrenching penalty shootout defeat to the Portuguese.
Arena AufSchalke is one of the most versatile and unique stadiums in Europe. It has hosted many memorable sporting events and several important football matches in its 23-year history.
Gelsenkirchen is the 25th most populous city in Germany and the 11th biggest in North Rhine-Westphalia. Along with taking in 2024 European Championship matches this summer, visiting fans can also visit Alma-Park, Horst Castle, and Zoom Erlebniswelt.
Seating Capacity at the Arena AufSchalke
Schalke are one of the best-supported teams in Germany. Even when relegated, the club fans still pack out the arena. They currently ply their trade in the second tier of German football, but Schalke’s average attendance is still over 60,000.
Arena AufSchalke, known as Veltins-Arena for sponsorship reasons, has a capacity of 62,273. However, that number has been cut to 54,740 for the 2024 European Championship finals due to standing restrictions.
There will be four stadiums in the championships with a higher capacity. The Olympiastadion and Allianz Arena will both house over 70,000 fans, while the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund will have a 65,849 capacity. The Stuttgart Arena will hold just 200 or so more than Arena AufSchalke during the competition.
Despite the cut in capacity, the atmosphere in the ground will no doubt be electric. The Schalke fans are some of the loudest and most passionate around, and the locals will make themselves heard around the city and in the stadium.
Football is the main use of the venue, and Arena AufSchalke regularly houses over 60,000 fans for league matches. However, the highest-ever attendance was for an ice hockey game in 2010. The Group D fixture between United States and Germany drew an incredible crowd of 77,803.
During the World Cup in 2006, there were over 50,000 fans for each of the five matches. The likes of England, USA, Argentina, and Portugal all played in front of sell-out crowds in the stadium during the 2006 finals.
European Championship 2024 Matches to be Held in Gelsenkirchen
Arena AufSchalke has a big role to play in the Euro Cup in 2024. In total, four matches will take place in the stunning Gelsenkirchen arena, including England’s opening fixture of the tournament on June 16th.
The Three Lions supporters have their travel arrangements sorted and will flock to Gelsenkirchen in their numbers. It will be the first competitive matchup between the two nations, and Gareth Southgate’s troops will be targeting all three points.
The English played in Gelsenkirchen in the World Cup in Germany, and they have unhappy memories of the ground. They went up against Portugal for a place in the last eight. Despite England surviving Wayne Rooney’s red card to get to penalties, the Portuguese broke their hearts with a 3-1 shootout win. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the decisive penalty.
The second match taking place at Arena AufSchalke is the mouth-watering Group B game between Spain and Italy on June 20th. The two European powerhouses will be battling for the top spot in the so-called “Group of Death”. Croatia are also looking for an automatic qualification place, while Albania are not in Germany just to make up the numbers.
Spain are one of the tournament favourites, and many have tipped the three-time winners to go far. Croatia have performed great in recent World Cups and could be spoilers, while Italy are the defending champions after their triumph in the 2020 edition. Group B is certainly the one to watch, and we are expecting plenty of fireworks.
Portugal are back in Gelsenkirchen for their final Group F fixture. The Portuguese will face the winners of play-off Path C. The 2016 European Championship winners could be through to the last 16 by the time they reach Gelsenkirchen. They play Czech Republic and Turkey in the opening two matches, and Roberto Martinez’s boys will be targeting six points from a possible six.
Once the group stage is completed, Arena AufSchalke has a job to do in the knockout rounds. The stadium will host one of the Round of 16 matches on June 30th. If England win their group, Southgate’s side will be back in Gelsenkirchen in the last 16. They would face one of the third-place teams in D, E, or F.
Arena AufSchalke has hosted many big football games and various huge sporting events over the years. The locals are ready to welcome European Championship fans, and Gelsenkirchen will be a great place to watch football this summer.
Betting on Football 2024 Matches at the Arena AufSchalke with Unibet
All four games at Arena AufSchalke will be available to bet on right here at Unibet. We offer competitive odds and have a huge European Championship betting market. You can bet on the outright winner or take advantage of our in-play options when the tournament is live.
There are three big group matches taking place in Gelsenkirchen, including England’s opening fixture of Group C. Many will be backing the Three Lions to get off to a winning start at Arena AufSchalke.
England went all the way to the final in the last edition, beating Germany along the way. Those two nations are expected to go far this summer. The English have never been European champions, while the Germans have won three European Cups and have been losing finalists on three occasions.
France are also right up there with the tournament favourites. The French won the World Cup in 2018 and reached the final in Qatar in 2022. They have been European Cup winners twice, with their last triumph coming in 2000. Didier Deschamps’ men are always dangerous and could be the team to beat.
Spain are one of the most successful nations in this competition, lifting the trophy three times. Also, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, and Croatia could go all the way. Italy won the last edition and will be desperate to keep hold of their crown. With so many top teams gunning for glory, the battle to be European champions in 2024 will be fascinating.
All eyes will be on England’s opening game in Gelsenkirchen on June 16th. Three points at Arena AufSchalke could pave the way for a successful tournament for the Three Lions. Can England get their hands on the European trophy for the first time?
