EURO 2016 Venues

March 21, 2016

Every great European Championship needs iconic stadiums, and France is full of them. Here’s a list of all the Euro 2016 venues.

 

Stade de France (Saint-Denis)

(Image credit: Plaine Commune)

This is France’s biggest and perhaps the most recognizable EURO 2016 venues. It was built for the 1998 World Cup, and has since then become the home to both France’s national football side and also the Rugby nation selection. It has a capacity of 80,000, which makes it one of the largest stadiums in Europe.

The opening game of the tournament will see France play Romania on June 10, while another three group stage games are scheduled to take place here: Rep. of Ireland vs Sweden (June 13), Germany vs Poland (June 16) and Iceland vs Austria (June 22). The round of 16 is scheduled for June 27, the quarter-finals for July 3 and the final will be held on July 10.

 

Stade Velodrome (Marseille)

(Image credit: essma)

The Velodrome is probably one of the most intriguing Euro 2016 venues. The interior design of the stadium cannot compare to any other sports arena, due to its unusual shape; it looks as if the skies have opened up and it essentially outs you at ease. This is the second-biggest stadium in the country with a capacity of 67,000.

On the second day of the Euro Championship (June 11), England will go head to head with Russia, while France will face Albania on June 15. This Euro 2016 venue will also host Iceland vs Hungary (June 18) and Ukraine vs Poland (June 30) in the group stage, while the quarter-finals and the semi-finals will be held on June 30 and July 7 respectively.

 

Stade de Lyon (Lyon)

(Image credit: Les Echos)

Stade des Lumieres, or Stade de Lyon as it’s more commonly known, boasts a capacity of 59,000, which makes it the third-largest football arena in France. Lyon, as a club, has won many league titles, which will undoubtedly motivate players to perform well here. If you’re planning to go to EUFA EURO 2016 to support your country, make sure to arrive a few days earlier to explore the city’s wonders.

The following games will be played in the group stage of the competition: Belgium vs Italy (June 13), Ukraine vs Northern Ireland (June 16), Romania vs Albania (June 19) and Hungary vs Poland (June 22). Stade de Lyon will host the quarter-finals on June 26 and the semi-finals on July 6.

 

Stade Pierre Mauroy (Lille)

(Image credit: msstavby)

Lille’s stadium boasts a capacity of 50,000, but what makes it truly stand out is the design of the exterior – it resembles a massive bubble. The architecture is clean and simple, as there are no unnecessary elements, so it’s a marvel to gaze at from the outside. Stade Pierre Mauroy has a retractable roof, which is good news in case it starts to rain during the tournament.

The first game played here will see Germany take on Ukraine (June 12), while three other matches will follow after that: Russia vs Slovakia (June 15), Switzerland vs France (June 19) and Italy vs Rep. of Ireland (June 22). The round of 16 will be played on June 26 and the quarter-final will be held on July 1.

 

Parc des Princes (Paris)

(Image credit: SkyscraperCity)

Parc de Princes is the home of the current French champions PSG, who have clinched the trophy for a fourth consecutive year. Despite the club being one of the biggest forces in Europe, the stadium seats merely 45,000. But the design of the arena is quite special, both the exterior and the interior.

The group games that you can expect to see at this stadium are: Turkey vs Croatia (June 12), Romania vs Switzerland (June 15), Portugal vs Austria (June 18) and Northern Ireland vs Germany (June 21). Unfortunately, there’ll be no quarter-final game played here, only the round of the 16 (June 25).

 

Stade de Bordeaux (Bordeaux)

(Image credit: Architect Magazine)

The stadium of Bordeaux doesn’t actually resemble a stadium from the outside, but rather a museum or a concert hall where people elegantly touch and pass the ball. You can only visibly see that it’s a stadium if you have aerial shots of the architectural marvel. In addition, it has a capacity of 42,000, so plenty of people can relish in its beauty.

Four group matches will be played here: Wales vs Slovakia (June 12), Austria vs Hungary (June 14), Belgium vs Rep. of Ireland (June 18) and Croatia vs Spain (June 21). Furthermore, one quarter-final encounter will take place on this iconic EURO 2016 venue.

 

Stade Geoffroy-Guichard (Saint-Etienne)

(Image credit: info-stades)

Like Bordeaux, Stade Geoffroy-Guichard boasts a capacity of 42,000. It has recently been renovated for the Euro Championship, which saw the arena receive a number of upgrades which made it more eco-friendly. To be fair, the stadium resembles a military fort with its sharp corners and grey exterior.

Here are the games that you expect to play here: Portugal vs Iceland (June 14), Czech Republic vs Croatia (June 17), Slovakia vs England (June 20) and one round of 16 encounter (June 25).

 

Stade de Nice (Nice)

(Image credit: LeMoniteur)

Nice’s stadium falls in the lower-capacity category as it can only seat 35,000. But the exterior is beautiful, and in some way resembles the other Allianz sponsored stadium, Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, only smaller. It’s definitely one of the most interesting EURO 2016 venues.

Due to its capacity, it will only feature three group games and one round of 16 match: Poland vs Northern Ireland (June 12), Spain vs Turkey (June 17), Sweden vs Belgium (June 22) and the round of 16 (June 27).

 

Stade Bollaert-Delelis (Lens)

(Image credit: Polypac)

Lens’ home ground received a small make-over for the championship, although most of the elements have remained the same. The exterior color of the ground has been changed from green to white, which gives it a more fresh look. But the capacity of 35,000 puts it in the lower-level category among the ten EURO 2016 venues.

The first game that will be played at Stade Bollaert-Delelis is Group A’s Albania vs Switzerland (June 11), while the second and third will be England vs Wales (June 16) and Czech Republic vs Turkey (June 21). One round of 16 match (June 25) will also be played here.

 

Stadium de Toulouse (Toulouse)

(Image credit: Autour de la Ligue 1)

The last arena on our list is Stadium de Toulouse. It has the lowest capacity of all the EURO 2016 venues, offering merely 33,000 seats. The ground has a somewhat antique look to it, as it resembles more of a horse racetrack than a football stadium. The city of Toulouse have appointed former France goalkeeper and 1998 World Cup winner Fabian Barthez as their ambassador for the tournament, considering he had started his career with them.

Three group stage encounters and one round of 16 game will be played here: Spain vs Czech Republic (June 13), Italy vs Sweden (June 17), Russia vs Wales (June 20) and the round of 16 (June 26).