Frankfurt Arena Complete Guide - Furnace Too Hot for the City

Managing to be both the industrial, economic, and modern powerhouse, as well as Germany from the idyllic postcards - Frankfurt is the ultimate old-meets-new city of the country. The city is so packed that the football ground had to be placed outside the limits - even though it was done a century ago. The Frankfurt Arena complete guide will introduce you to all the peculiar facts about the still somewhat hidden gems of Bundesliga football.

Frankfurt Arena is the name the stadium bears in international competitions as UEFA prohibits the use of sponsor names for their competitions. Such as the EURO 2024.

As is the case, especially in Germany, the stadium didn't change places but did change names. Abudently. Not quite on the level of the relatively close Stuttgart Arena, but getting there.

- From the beginning in 1925, it was called Waldstadion - Forest Stadium.
- From 2005 until 2020 the sponsorship name was Commerzbank-Arene.
- Currently, it is known as Deutsche Bank Park.

Frankfurt Arena Complete Guide: Euro 2024 Matches

Starting with the most important information - games that will be played at the Frankfurt Arena at the 2024 EURO in Germany.

The city of Frankfurt will host five EURO 2024 matches with four in the groups and one in the knockout stages. Including one of the home team.

- Belgium vs Slovakia (Monday, June 17th, 18:00) in Group E
- Denmark vs England (Thursday, June 20th, 18:00) in Group C
- Switzerland vs Germany (Sunday, June 23rd, 21:00) in Group A
- Slovakia vs Romania (Wednesday, June 26th, 18:00) in Group E

Knockout Stage Matches at the Frankfurt Arena

- Round of 16 (Monday, 1st of July, 21:00)

The winner of Group F will face the best third-placed from groups A, B, and C. This most likely means that Portugal will be playing here as the heavy favourite in Group F.

Frankfurt Arena Complete Guide: History and Construction

After four years of construction, the stadium was first opened in May of 1925 with a cost of 3.7 million marks - equivalent to €14,000,000 today.

Placed on the site of a former military shooting range, it was a sign of more controlled and happier fireworks to come.

Initially, the stadium had a capacity of 35,000 spectators and was mostly constructed into the ground. Unlike some other German grounds we covered which had monumental architecture early on.

The stadium was first worked on in 1937.

But it was clear that major reconstruction was needed after a tragedy was nearly avoided in 1953 during a match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Nurnberg. As 70,000 tickets were sold for a stadium that only could take in 55,000 people. A stampede of fans tried to force entry resulting in 200 injured.

After 19 months of construction, the Waldstadion was opened with a facelift and capacity expansion.

The second renovation of the Waldstadion was necessary for the 1974 World Cup held in Germany, as is the case with many of these grounds.

The opening ceremony of the 1974 World Cup was held at Frankfurt's Waldstadion.

Today's stadium is pretty much the fourth stadium in the same location.

Frankfurt Arena Complete Guide: Architecture and Dimensions

Frankfurt Arena as we know it now was designed in 2000 by the Hamburg architects Gerkan, Marg und Partner. Together with the Stuttgart engineers Schlaich Bergermann und Partner.

The construction started in 2002 and ended in 2005 just in time for the 2005 Confederations Cup and 2006 World Cup.

The renovations for the 2006 World Cup carried a cost of €188,000,000!

Initially, the stadium could take in 51,500 spectators, spread over two terrace tiers and a two-story intermediate layer in which 74 business boxes are placed.

In 2024, the capacity for the Waldstadion is 58,000 - 38,000 of which are seated, and 20,000 are for standing terraces.

But in UEFA competitions, standing terraces are prohibited, hence the capacity is brought down to 47,000! This will be the audience number for the 2024 UEFA Euro.

For concerts, the stadium can accommodate up to 65,000 people.

An underground car park beneath the stadium offers 1,800 parking spaces - however, for the 2024 Euro, there will be no parking at the stadium!

The inner roof covers the entire playing field and is completely retractable - making the Frankfurt Arena the world's largest convertible.

The whole process of closing or opening the roof takes just 15 to 20 minutes and the architects and engineers responsible for it were awarded the "Outstanding Structure Award" by the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) in 2007.

Dimensions: - 210 metres long
- 190 metre wide
- Pitch size 105 m × 68 m
- 37,500 m? tent roof

Frankfurt Arena Complete Guide: Notable Matches

Eintracht Frankfurt has had quite the loyal support on this place for football, regardless of what it was called. In 1959, against FK Pirmasens, 81,000 spectators saw their team move closer to the German National Championships final. A record that remains.

Still a boxing country (compared to other martial arts), Germany and Frankfurt had the honour of hosting the heavyweight boxing championship between Muhammad Ali and Karl Mildenberger on September of 1966.

There were five matches played at the Waldstadion at the 1974 FIFA World Cup - Yugoslavia played there two times, Brazil, Scotland, and Poland twice, and West Germany once.

Eintracht Frankfurt played one half of the 1980 UEFA Cup two-leg final at its home ground, winning against Borussia Monchengladbach due to away goals. As the first match in Monchengladbach ended with a 3:2 win by Borussia, while the Waldstadion witnessed the second-leg 1:0 victory of its team

Two group matches of the 1988 UEFA Euro were held here - Italy defeated Spain 1:0, and the Soviet Union ran past England 3:1.

In 2005, a total of four matches of the Confederations Cup were played at the Waldstadion, including the final where Brazil defeated their biggest rivals Argentina 4:1.

The main deal, the 2006 FIFA World Cup saw five of its matches played here - England won against Paraguay, South Korea against Togo, Portugal bested Iran, and the Netherlands and Argentina held each other to a draw in the group stages.

In the quarter-finals, France went past Brazil with a minimum win score.

Also, in 2011, the FIFA Women's World Cup was hosted at the Frankfurt Arena, a total of four games including the final in which Japan triumphed over the United States via penalties.

The NFL played one of their European games at the Frankfurt Arena in 2023 when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins 21-14. While the New England Patriots played the Indianapolis Colts and lost 10-6.

The NFL is set to return to Frankfurt with another doubleheader in 2025.

Truth be told, any Eintracht Frankfurt home matches could be regarded as notable by those coming from places where the stadium atmosphere isn’t so fiery. As the terraces noticeably shake when the Frankfurters display their zeal.

Frankfurt Arena Complete Guide: Location and Travel

Frankfurt is officially called Frankfurt am Main, meaning Frankfurt on the Main River. With its 791,000 inhabitants, it's the fifth most populous German city.

It is located in the German federal state Hesse or Hessia.

The city is the beating heart of the larger Rhine-Main metropolitan region, which has a population of more than 5.8 million people and is Germany's second-largest metropolitan region after the Rhine-Ruhr region.

Like France, the city is named after the Franks.

France is just 127 kilometres away. Frankfurt is 153 kilometres away from Luxembourg on the west and slightly more from Belgium.

As far as other German cities, Stuttgart is 150 kilometres to the south, while Bonn is 126 kilometres to the northwest, and Cologne just up the road.

The closest Bundesliga town is Darmstadt, 25 km to the south. While Mainz is just 29 kilometres to the west.

Today, Frankfurt is primarily known for its airport. The busiest in Germany, one of the busiest in the world, the airport with the most direct routes in the world, and the primary hub of Lufthansa, the national airline of Germany and Europe's largest airline.

Frankfurt is also a major port in Germany, with the area separating the city from its neighbour Offenbach.

Additionally, Frankfurt is the largest financial hub in continental Europe. It is home to the European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt Stock Exchange and several large commercial banks.

Frankfurt Arena Transportation

There is less than 4 km between the stadium and the airport.

However, the Frankfurt Arena is the most remote of all the EURO 2024 host cities we presented. Including the Allianz Arena.

Located 4.7 kilometres away from the city centre in a straight line - and across the Main river - the stadium is also nearly a kilometre away from any residential area.

Fully justifying its original name of Waldstadion - Forest Stadium, it is surrounded by a thick circle of woods.

With an additional parking lot across the highway, however, stadium parking won't be allowed during the 2024 Euro.

Frankfurt Central Station, located right in the middle of the city, has high-speed and regional lines. It's the German main transport hub for international travellers coming from neighbouring countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and France.

Most long-distance buses arrive at and depart from Frankfurt Central Station or Frankfurt Airport (P36 - Terminal 1).

Light rail lines S7, S8, and S9 all lead to the Frankfurt stadion and the exit stop is called Frankfurt am Main Stadion.

All three lines cross the city centre, with the S8 and S9 going all the way from the nearby town of Hanau in the east to the Wiesband in the west, crossing past the airport.

Trams 20 and 21 have their final stop north of the stadium at the Frankfurt (Main) Stadion Straßenbahn.

However, the bus line 61 stops closest to the stadium.

Although, there will be mini busses organised for the 2024 UEFA Euro.

Frankfurt Arena Complete Guide: Other Sights

As a financial hub, it's often said that Frankfurt is the lone German city with a skyline of modern skyscrapers.

Of the sights, the most picturesque is the unequivocally German Römerberg - reconstructed timber houses lining the cobbled town square.

Despite this corporate feel, on the river Frankfurt shines with its chilled pedestrian atmosphere.

On Main’s northern shore is where the Fan Zone Mainufer will be located from 14th June to July 14th.

With all 51 EURO 2024 matches played live on massive screens.

The Eiserner Steg pedestrian bridge provides some of the best views of the said city skyline. While the e Main Tower offers the view from the suitable heights.

Due to its skyscrapers, Frankfurt also possesses a lot of rooftop bars, which is not something many European cities can match.

The Frankfurt Cathedral stands as a contrast to the modern Skyscrapers, with its distinct Gothic style.

The St. Paul's Church offers a different style of religious architecture feast for the eyes.

Alte Oper - opera house, Festhalle Messe Frankfurt concert hall, and Städel Museum - art museum will satisfy your cultural and aesthetical cravings.

As for the strict football fanatics, the PSD Bank Arena - home of FSV Frankfurt offers that distinct lower-league German football feel.

Sport Club Frankfurt 1880 e.V. ground with its charming central office house in the middle of the centre will make you seem as if you're watching a movie about old-timey football. Although it's used for many sports nowadays.

As it's Germany after all, Frankfurt also has to offer something for the gearheads. Klassikstadt is a car display/museum/ workshop space on the outer edges of the city.

Hostels range from €30 per night, hotels are some €28 more expensive per night, while rental apartments hold that similar price at €60 per night. Of course, the rates might vary greatly as the Euro 2024 comes closer.

Frankfurt will open its seemingly cold and business-like arms for the UEFA 2024 Euro, perhaps resulting in a change in how the city is viewed. As the locals don’t really appreciate how besides transportation and finances, their home isn’t known for what they universally obsess over - football.