All information on Munich as host city for UEFA EURO 2024
UEFA EURO 2024: Media Guide for Munich - Information for journalists
All information for media professionals about the UEFA EURO 2024 in Munich. Dates, contacts, information and more about the European Football Championship in Munich.
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The stadium for UEFA EURO 2024: Football Arena Munich
The matches will be played in Munich at the Allianz Arena, which will be known as the "Fußball Arena München" during the European Championships. The stadium of 2020 UEFA Champions League winners FC Bayern normally holds 75,000 spectators for national matches and 70,000 for international matches.
Six matches will be held here during UEFA EURO 2024, including the opening match:
Preliminary round:
- 14.6., 9 p.m.: Germany - Scotland
- 17.6., 3 p.m.: Romania - Ukraine
- 20.6., 3 p.m.: Slovenia - Serbia
- 25.6., 9 p.m.: Denmark - Serbia
Knockout round:
- 2.7. round of 16
- 9.7. semi-final
The stadium was planned and built as a joint project between the two major Munich football clubs FC Bayern and TSV 1860 and was officially opened in May 2005. Previous highlights include the opening match of the 2006 World Cup between Germany and Costa Rica (4:2), the 2006 World Cup semi-final between France and Portugal (1:0), the 2021 European Championship quarter-final between Belgium and Italy (1:2) and the 2012 Champions League final between FC Bayern and Chelsea FC (3:4 n.E.). The 2025 Champions League final will also be held at the Allianz Arena.
The arena in the northern Munich district of Fröttmaning, just off the A9 and the junction with the A92 towards the airport, has become a real Munich landmark, mainly due to its illuminated exterior façade. It shines red for FC Bayern matches and white for those of the German national team, but the air cushions can also be illuminated in numerous other colors.
Munich's EM ambassador: Dr. Felix Brych
As an official ambassador, Dr. Felix Brych is supporting his home city in the preparation and implementation of UEFA Euro 2024. The law graduate was born in Munich on 3 August 1975. He stands for "fair play" like no other: as a referee, he has refereed in the Bundesliga since 2004 and in the Champions League from 2008 to 2021. In 2017, FIFA named him world referee and the DFB has already honored him five times as referee of the year. At the last EURO 2020, he was the only referee to officiate five matches. He ended his international career at the end of December 2021.
Off the pitch, Felix Brych is involved in youth work at the Bavarian Football Association and inspires people to get active. For his extraordinary achievements, he was awarded the Medal of Honor of the City of Munich, which he is representing for UEFA EURO 2024.
Kathrin Lehmann is Munich's local EURO 2024 ambassador
The German-Swiss former professional footballer and ice hockey player Kathrin "Ka" Lehmann is Munich's local ambassador for UEFA EURO 2024. The 43-year-old Munich resident will primarily represent and work on the topics of sustainability, diversity and tolerance in the host city and the positive economic impact of the major sporting event. As a long-time top athlete and successful entrepreneur, Lehmann forms an excellent team with Munich's national UEFA EURO 2024 ambassador, Germany's record-breaking referee Dr. Felix Brych.
Kathrin Lehmann was born in Zurich on February 27, 1980. She was successful in international women's sport for over 20 years - in ice hockey (striker) and football (goalkeeper, including FC Bayern Munich). She was a member of the Swiss national teams in football and ice hockey, took part in two Olympic Games and won the Champions League in football and ice hockey. Kathrin Lehmann is the only woman to have scored a goal in the top German league in both football and ice hockey.
After her outstanding sporting career, Lehmann studied literature at LMU Munich and business administration, founded her own agency and became a successful entrepreneur. Kathrin Lehmann has dedicated herself entirely to the development and coaching of young people on their educational path. She has also been a ZDF football expert since 2022. She is also in demand as a keynote speaker on the big stages.
Football city Munich: FC Bayern, TSV 1860, women's football
Football is the number one sport in Munich and is practically omnipresent. On the one hand, this is of course due to FC Bayern, as the most successful German team has also had a lasting impact on the city. Like the Oktoberfest, the global FC Bayern brand is now one of the city's flagships, also economically, and many of its residents identify with the club - and not just at the championship celebrations on Marienplatz.
Numerous superstars have played for the German record champions: from Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier in the 1970s to Lothar Matthäus, Stefan Effenberg, Oliver Kahn, Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben to today's top players such as Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer, Leroy Sané & Co. FC Bayern's women's team is also one of Germany's top clubs and has attracted international attention.
On the other hand, there is the city rival TSV 1860, another club with a great tradition, which is based in the Giesing district and plays its matches in the Grünwalder Stadium there. Even though the "Lions" currently only play in the 3rd division, they have a large fan base that extends far beyond Munich's city limits. TSV 1860's greatest successes date back some time: the Lions became German champions in 1966 and won the DFB Cup in 1962 and 1964. The team from the sixties around keeper Petar Radenkovic and the now deceased Löwen legends around captain Peter Grosser, goal scorer Rudolf Brunnenmeier and coach Max Merkel still enjoy cult status.
Both major Munich football clubs played in the Olympic Stadium for a long time after the 1972 Olympic Games, and the German national team was also a frequent guest in this stadium - even away from major tournaments. After Bayern and 1860 moved together to the Allianz Arena in 2005 (which has been used exclusively by FC Bayern since 2017), professional football matches were initially no longer played in the Olympic Stadium. League football was played here again in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, when the then third-division club Türkgücü München was allowed to use the venerable arena for some home matches. The 2012 Women's Champions League final was also held in the Olympic Stadium. Today, the stadium is one of Munich's largest concert venues.
The suburban club SpVgg Unterhaching also plays professional football and, like TSV 1860, was active in the 3rd division last season.
In addition, there are numerous other football teams such as the women's football club Wacker München 99, SC München and FC Schwabing 56, to name just a few examples from popular sports.
More than just football: The sports city of Munich
But it's not just football that is very important in Munich, the city is generally enthusiastic about sport. A striking symbol of this is the Olympic Park with its world-famous Olympic Stadium, where the 1972 Olympic Games were opened. The 1972 Olympic Games lasted from August 26 to September 11, with a total of 7170 athletes taking part in 28 disciplines. The outstanding athlete was the US swimmer Mark Spitz, who won a total of seven gold medals. The Games in Munich were overshadowed by the Olympic bombing on September 5, 1972, in which eleven Israeli hostages were murdered. Today, a memorial plaque in the Olympic Village and a memorial site opened in 2017 in the Olympic Park commemorate the attack.
In 2022, the European Championships Munich were held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Games in Munich.
In basketball, Munich has another top club, FC Bayern, which has won the German championship several times. FC Bayern's basketball department was founded back in 1946 and the team won the title twice in 1954 and 1955. After a long period of silence for the FCB basketball team, the success story continued with three more championships (2014, 2018, 2019) when the team returned to the Bundesliga in 2011.
In ice hockey, EHC Red Bull is the top club, winning the championship title three times in a row between 2016 and 2018. EHC Red Bull also became German champions in 2023. Munich has a long tradition as an ice hockey city, and other teams such as the Munich Barons (champions in 2000) and the founding DEL member Maddogs Munich have also left their mark on the German ice hockey landscape.
The FCB basketball team currently still plays its games in BMW Park, while the EHC plays in the Olympic Ice Stadium. A new sports arena, the SAP Garden in the Olympic Park, is currently under construction and will be used by both teams from September 2024 when it is completed.
Major sporting events regularly take place in the city, such as the Munich Marathon and the Munich Mash fun sports event. Municipal events such as the Munich Sports Festival on Königsplatz and the Outdoor Sports Festival in the Olympic Park are also very popular.
Popular sports are also deeply rooted: the more than 650 sports clubs in the city have almost 600,000 members. There is a huge range of sports facilities, including 383 sports halls, 157 school sports facilities and 17 public swimming pools, to name but a few. Munich also offers a wide range of recreational sports: from tennis and mini golf to boating, there really is everything - a unique highlight all year round are the famous surfers on the Eisbach wave in the English Garden. In the parks there is a wide range of leisure sports on offer, including volleyball, boules and slackline, while the paths along the Isar and in the parks are ideal for joggers and cyclists.
The most important facts and figures about the state capital Munich
Here is an overview of the most important key figures for the state capital of Munich
- Population: 1,589,038 (as at: 31.01.2023, population with main residence)
- Private households: 854,396 (as of 31.12.2023)
- Area: 310.71 km²
- Year founded: 1158 (first documented mention)
- Area of green spaces: 4,164 hectares (around 13.4% of the city area)
- Length of the Isar (urban area): 13.7 kilometers
- Oktoberfest 2023: 7.2 million visitors; 6.5 million liters of beer served
- Lord Mayor: Dieter Reiter (SPD)
- 2nd Mayor: Dominik Krause (Greens)
- 3rd Mayor: Verena Dietl (SPD)
More key figures for Munich are available from the city's statistical office (German)
Munich as a venue for major football tournaments
1974 WORLD CUP
Munich has a long tradition as a venue for major football tournaments, with the 1974 World Cup laying the foundations and becoming something of a legend today. The final between Germany and Holland, which was played on July 7, 1974 in front of over 78,000 spectators in the Olympic Stadium, is still a household name for every football fan. Gerd Müller's decisive 2:1, Franz Beckenbauer lifting the World Cup trophy into the Munich sky - these images of Germany's second World Cup title will remain forever. What is less well known is that the match for third place between Brazil and Poland (0:1) was also played in Munich.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 1988
14 years later, Munich was once again the venue for a major tournament. The 1988 European Championship in Germany provided material for legends. Once again, the venue was Munich's Olympic Stadium, but this time the final on June 25, 1988 took place without the Germans: They had been defeated by the Netherlands in a dramatic semi-final. Instead, the spectators in Munich were treated to another highlight: Marco van Basten's goal to make the final score 2:0 is still considered one of the most beautiful goals in football history. And with this victory over the then Soviet Union, the Dutch won the only title in their football history in Munich.
WORLD CUP 2006
The 2006 World Cup: The German "summer fairytale" began in the then new Allianz Arena in Munich. The German national team beat Costa Rica 4:2 in a spectacular opening match on June 9, 2006, triggering nationwide euphoria. In addition to further group matches and a round of 16 match, the semi-final between Portugal and France was also played in Munich, in which Zinedine Zidane's France narrowly won 1:0. This tournament also saw the first major public viewing events, with thousands of fans celebrating every day in Munich's Olympiapark.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2020
The first ever pan-European European Championship also made a stop in Munich - a year later than planned in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Three of the German national team's group matches and one quarter-final took place in the Munich Arena. After a 1-0 defeat to France to open the tournament, the DFB team made it through to the round of 16 with a 4-2 win over Portugal and a 2-2 draw against Hungary. In the quarter-finals in Munich, the eventual tournament winners Italy beat Belgium 2:1. Due to hygiene regulations in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, 14,000 spectators were allowed in the Munich arena per match. The planned fan zone in the Olympic Park had to be canceled. Instead, numerous activities and events surrounding the European Championships attracted fans from all over Europe and Munich to the city center.
Sights, leisure and events
Places of interest
Munich is a city with a long history, so there is plenty to discover here. Marienplatz is a good place to start sightseeing, as some of the city's most important sights, such as the Frauenkirche, the New and Old Town Halls, the Residenz, the State Opera and the Viktualienmarkt, are all in the immediate vicinity. Less central, but also absolutely worth seeing, are Nymphenburg Palace with its spectacular park and Hellabrunn Zoo.
Leisure time
The leisure factor is very high in Munich, which is mainly due to the numerous parks and green spaces spread throughout the city. The best known is of course the English Garden, but it is also worth exploring smaller parks such as Luitpoldpark or Westpark. The Isar is also important for local recreation, and the Isar floodplains in particular are very popular with Munich residents. There are several lakes in the city area where you can refresh yourself when the weather is nice, but they are also ideal for long walks.
Events
Munich is a city of culture: the so-called museum area is home to some of the most important museums in Europe, for example the Pinakothek museums (the Neue Pinakothek is currently closed for renovation work). The Deutsches Museum is also world-famous. Music is also celebrated in all its forms, whether classically at the Bavarian State Opera, as an open-air event on Königsplatz or in trendy concert venues such as Backstage or the Muffathalle. Munich also has a diverse theater scene: with the Deutsches Theater, the Münchner Kammerspiele and the Volkstheater, some of Germany's most important theaters are located here.
Staying overnight in Munich
Munich offers a wide range of accommodation options - from five-star hotels to inexpensive alternatives. Many hotels are located in the city center, but thanks to the very well-developed public transport system, it is also no problem to find accommodation in less central but quieter parts of the city.
Journey to Munich
By plane: Munich can be reached by plane via Franz-Josef-Strauß International Airport, which is located in Erdinger Moos, just under 30 kilometers from the city center.
By train: Munich is connected to the international rail network with its centrally located main station, and there are numerous direct connections to other major European cities such as Paris, Vienna and Rome. The ICE Sprinter travels from Munich to Berlin 3 times a day in under 4 hours.
Long-distance bus: With the Munich Central Bus Station (ZOB) at the Hackerbrücke, the city is also easy to reach by long-distance bus, with numerous international providers traveling to Munich.
Car: Munich is connected to the German road network via several highways. The most important highways that run around or through the city are the A8, A9, A92, A94, A95, A96 and A99. Several federal highways also run through Munich.
Public transportation in Munich
S-Bahn: The S-Bahn is a quick way to get around the city; the eight main lines (S1-S8) are a very good means of transportation, especially on the central main line between Pasing and Ostbahnhof.
Subway: Equally important for mobility in Munich are the subway trains, which take you to almost any point in the city without any problems. The U6 line runs to the Munich Football Arena. The U6 stops in the city center at central stations such as Sendlinger Tor, Marienplatz, Odeonsplatz or Münchner Freiheit. The stadium is located at Fröttmaning station.
Streetcar and bus: The streetcars, known as "streetcars" in Munich, are also important for local transportation and also have the advantage that you can see a lot of the city. Local transport is complemented by a large number of bus lines, some of which run all night.
Tickets and app: Ideally, you should download the Munich Transport Company (MVG) app, "MVG Fahrinfo München", for your stay in Munich. The app not only tells you the quickest way to get from A to B, but also allows you to buy tickets on your cell phone. The Deutschland-Ticket can also be used for local public transport in Munich.
Of course, there is also the option of buying tickets from ticket machines directly at the stops.
Facts and figures on local transportation in Munich
The first streetcar in Munich went on the rails in 1876 and was still pulled by horses. Construction of the subway began in 1965 and the first line was opened in 1971, in time for the 1972 Olympic Games.
The Munich S-Bahn network was also officially put into operation in 1972. At that time, around 150,000 passengers used it every day; today, this figure has risen to 840,000 passengers.
A curious fact: today, MVG buses and trains circle the globe three times a day.
Scooter and bike sharing / driving in Munich
Scooter and bike sharing
There are several providers of e-scooters in Munich, which can be used to cover shorter distances quickly and easily. The same applies to bike sharing, in particular the MVG network, called "MVG Rad", is represented in large parts of the Munich city area.
Car
Munich has a very well-developed road network, although you should plan for traffic jams, especially during rush hour in the morning and early evening. If you are not traveling by car, the city also offers car sharing and, in addition to traditional cabs, transport service providers such as Uber.
Accessibility in Munich
In Munich, a great deal has been done for a long time to ensure that people with physical disabilities can move around the city without any problems. For example, all trains at the main railway station are barrier-free, and great importance is also attached to accessibility at the airport. The same applies to Munich's public transport system. Almost all underground and suburban train stations are accessible via a lift. Special cabs and transport services for people with disabilities are also available.
Many accommodations, restaurants, stores and sights in Munich are also barrier-free. In addition, there are some public sanitary facilities, especially in the city center, which are suitable for people with physical disabilities.
It is important that many tourist attractions in Munich are barrier-free: This applies to museums, churches or castles, but also to cinemas, theaters or concert halls. Barrier-free city tours are also offered.
