INTRODUCTION

The 12 stadiums chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, either brand new orrenovated, are considered to be among the most appealing, comfortable, and modern sports arenas in the world. The total investment for all 12 stadiums is estimated at €1.5 billion. Among the 12 stadiums, nine are "football only". Eight stadiums are hosting five matches, while the four largest – Berlin, Dortmund, Munich, Stuttgart – are hosting six. Criteria for potential host venues included stadium capacity, standards of quality in various categories, safety aspects and regional factors. The actual number and selection of the stadiums were determined by FIFA. Older stadiums have been given a complete facelift; newly built stadiums like Munich’s combine "state-of-the-art" comfort with the ultimate in big match atmosphere.

BERLIN

Population: 3.39 million Stadium: Olympiastadion Scheduled Work: Reconstruction Investment: €242m Gross Capacity: 74,176 Total Seating Capacity: 66,021 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 56,358 Quarterfinals: 56,316 Final: 55,562

The Berlin Olympic Stadium has hosted its fair share of momentous, epoch-making events, but the coming 9 July is destined to eclipse everything that has gone before. A global audience of well over a billion is set to follow the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ Final live on TV. American sprinter Jesse Owens won four gold medals here at the 1936 Olympic Games. Today, one of the avenues leading to the ground and a VIP lounge bear the great runner's name. The stadium has staged the German Cup Final since 1985.

Reconstruction at a cost of €242 million began in the summer of 2000. A spectacular gala opening ceremony took place on 31 July 2004; soon thereafter Hertha BSC Berlin contested the first match at the face-lifted arena against Besiktas Istanbul. The following month, FIFA World Cup™ holders Brazil met Germany in the inaugural international. Reconstruction had to be carried out with the greatest of care due to the listed status of the structure, originally designed by architect Werner March and built between 1934 and 1936 for around 42 million Reichsmark.

The new stadium incorporates VIP and Sky executive boxes, business seats, a Hertha BSC megastore, an underground warm-up facility (including a 110m running track and long-jump pit) and an underground car park. The rebuilding project was primarily aimed at optimising functionality and spectator comfort. For example, practically all the 74,200 seats are covered, whereas previously only 27,000 seats were protected from the elements. Five thousand dimmable fluorescent lamps, an ultra-modern PA system and dazzle-free floodlighting provided by a single brilliant band along the front edge of the roof permit a wide variety of exciting atmospheric effects.

The new roof, a vast oval interrupted as before by the listed Marathon Gate, provides a delicate contrast to the robust muscularity of the historic tectonics. The lightweight cantilever construction is borne by an intricate web of 20 beam supports ranging over the gallery, and 132 steel pillars. The roof is literally the crowning glory of a harmonious solution incorporating past, present and future.

COLOGNE

Population: 1 million Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium, Cologne Scheduled Work: Reconstruction Investment: €110m Gross Capacity: 46,120 Total Seating Capacity: 40,590 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 35,926 Round of sixteen: 35,580

The football-mad people of Cologne felt a mixture of relief and exhilaration when their fine new stadium finally opened in the spring of 2004: Germany's fourth-largest city failed to make the cut in 1974 and missed out on that year's FIFA World Cup™. The new 46,000 capacity purpose-built football arena saw Cologne home this time around against stiff competition from neighbouring cities. The FIFA World Cup Stadium, Cologne is hosting four group games and a match in the round of sixteen this summer.

The new arena, constructed on the site of the old Müngersdorfer stadium, staged its inaugural match on 31 March 2004 with a friendly between Germany and Belgium. The ground continued to operate during the two-year construction phase as the four stands were demolished and replaced in turn.

The former stadium featured a running track, but the new arena has been designed as a compact, intense space with atmosphere and passion guaranteed. The steeply banked upper tiers feature a 34 degree rake, with the pitch separated from the stands by less than eight metres. A quartet of 72 metre masts both support the roof and act as trademark illuminated beacons. Nowadays, visitors approaching the Rhineland metropolis from the West can hardly fail to miss the four towers of light sending out a clear signal: welcome to Cologne!

Bundesliga perennials 1. FC Cologne play here, and the stadium houses the club museum. A clutch of Germany's finest and most loved players including Wolfgang Overath, Toni Schumacher, Pierre Littbarski and Thomas Häßler enjoyed sparkling success at the ground, all of them finally taking leave of the game at the venerable Müngersdorfer.

The first stadium on the site opened its doors in 1923 before the new arena's predecessor hosted its inaugural match in 1975. Over the years, the stadium in Cologne has welcomed a vast number of world-renowned personalities ranging from the Rolling Stones to the Pope.

DORTMUND

Population: 590,000 Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium, Dortmund Scheduled Work: Reconstruction Investment: €31-36m Gross Capacity: 66,981 Total Seating Capacity: 60,285 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 50,768 Round of sixteen: 50,276 Semifinals: 49,876

Known nationwide as the Bundesliga’s opera house, the Westfalenstadion was originally built for the 1974 FIFA World CupTM. Borussia Dortmundplay their home games here, practically always in front of sell-out crowds. Some 25,000 of these fans roar on their beloved Borussia from the famous South Stand terraces, an awesome and fearful prospect for the visiting team. No fewer than 1.4 million spectators thronged to Germany's biggest stadium in 2004-5, making an average of over 77,000 and a Bundesliga and European record.

In November 2001, the authorities resolved to join up the four separate stands, increasing the all-seat capacity to around 67,000. Crucially, the design carefully allows proper ventilation for the pitch. This temple of football on Strobelallee features more than 3,500 food service points, another best-in-class figure for the Bundesliga. This phase of the reconstruction project was completed in late summer 2003. A further modernisation programme took place in summer 2005. The seats in the lower tier were equipped with back rests and a new VIP section opened. An electronic access control system was installed and began operations, together with refurbishment of the dressing room and team zones.

Planning for what was to become one of the world's great stadiums began in the early 1960s. An initial proposal to expand the venerable "Rote Erde" stadium was abandoned in 1965 in favour of constructing a so-called twin stadium on the site next to the "Rote Erde".Costs were halved by the novel concept of modular construction involving pre-cast building elements. Some 50,000 cubic metres of earth were excavated, as bomb disposal teams uncovered, defused and removed 34 Second World War bombs. Surveying the finished product, then Germany boss Helmut Schön was overwhelmed at what he saw: "There's only one football stadium better than this in the whole world, the Azteca in Mexico City." Quipped Cologne midfielder Wolfgang Overath: "There's just one thing wrong with it - it's not in Cologne."

FRANKFURT

Population: 650,000 Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt Scheduled Work: A brand new stadium Investment: €126m Gross Capacity: 48,132 Total Seating Capacity: 43,324 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 38,437 Quarterfinals: 37,925

A minimalist supporting structure combined with a flood of natural light through the translucent roof provide the FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt with a soaring, cathedral-like atmosphere. Work on the futuristic stadium began in mid-2002, resulting in a worthy successor to the "old" Waldstadion and its plethora of sporting memories, including the waterlogged semi-final between Poland and West Germany in 1974, and the Muhammad Ali vs. Karl Mildenberger bout in 1966.

Most recently, the new arena hosted the FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 Final between Brazil and Argentina. Construction lasted from July 2002 to October 2005, with no interruption to the Bundesliga programme at the stadium and with careful regard for the historic character of the tradition-rich site. The city council approved the construction of a new stadium on the existing site in May 2000.

A total of 80,000 cubic metres of concrete and 12,000 tons of steel were used in the project. The underground car park boasts an impressive 1,800 spaces. The steel girders and ropes used for the roof weigh some 2,500 tonnes, making the 30-tonne video cube incongruously lightweight by comparison.

The Waldstadion is home to Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt, whose best-known former players Bernd Hölzenbein and Jürgen Grabowski represent the city as FIFA World Cup™ Ambassadors. As part of the Green Goal environmental initiative, the stadium features a vast rainwatercollection and drainage facility. Alongside construction costs of €126 million, a further €45million has been invested in the local road and rail infrastructure.

GELSENKIRCHEN

Population: 278,000 Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium, Gelsenkirchen Scheduled Work: A brand new stadium Investment: €192m Gross Capacity: 53,804 Total Seating Capacity: 48,426 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 43,920 Quarterfinals: 43,574

The Arena was officially opened on 13 and 14 August 2001, immediately setting a new benchmark in the art of stadium construction. European governing body UEFA assigned the multifunctional Arena to the highest-possible five-star category, commenting: "This venue more than fulfils the necessary criteria, and might even qualify as a "six-star" stadium."

"This stadium is a pilot project for the whole world", praised FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter. The Champions League Final was staged here on 27 May 2004. The €191 million FIFA World Cup Stadium, Gelsenkirchen project was entirely financed by private capital, at no cost whatsoever to the public purse.

FIFA paid an official visit to Gelsenkirchen in 2002 for the ceremonial unveiling of the Official Emblem. The "Celebrating Faces of Football" were projected onto a fifteen-foot-high wall of water in the centre of the pitch.

The Arena, lauded by former minister-president Wolfgang Clement as "football’s crowning glory," can justifiably claim to be the most modern in Europe thanks to an array of ground-breaking technical facilities set to revolutionise standards in stadium design, including a removable playing surface, giant video cube, retractable roof and electronic admission controls.

By early 2005, the Arena had staged more than 150 events and attracted over eight million spectators. Schalke 04, who celebrated their centenary in 2004, play their home games here.

HAMBURG

Population: 1.7 million Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hamburg Scheduled Work: A brand new stadium Investment: €97m Gross Capacity: 51,055 Total Seating Capacity: 45,442 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 40,918 Quarterfinals: 40,226

The new stadium in Hamburg, inaugurated on 2 September 2000 with a match between Germany and Greece, boasts a capacity of 56,114 for Bundesliga matches. The arena officially qualifies as one of the best football grounds in Europe after earning a maximum five stars from UEFA.

Work on the new ground started in March 1998: the old Volksparkstadion was demolished in four stages, the pitch rotated and the stands rebuilt. The function rooms, VIP and media areas were completely remodelled. All the spectator areas are now covered. Electronic access controls featuring machine-readable microchip technology were introduced for the 2005-6 season.The stadium is home to Hamburg SV, the only club to have never left the German top-flight in the Bundesliga's 42-year history.

The old Volksparkstadion was reconstructed in 1953 on the debris and ashes of the previous arena. Germany suffered one of their most painful defeats here when Jürgen Sparwasser's goal sealed a 1-0 triumph for the former East Germany at the 1974 FIFA World Cup™ finals. However, the cloud had a silver lining as West Germany thus avoided a play-off against the powerful Brazilians, and went on to lift the FIFA World Cup™ trophy for the second time in their history.

HANOVER

Population: 525,000 Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hanover Scheduled Work: Reconstruction Investment: €63m Gross Capacity: 44,652 Total Seating Capacity: 39,297 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 34,311 Round of sixteen: 33,965

Hanover, capital city of the state of Lower Saxony, is ready to delight visiting fans with its fine, purpose-built football stadium. Work to reconstruct the venerable Niedersachsenstadion was completed ahead of schedule in December 2004.

The arena, boasting a 50,000 capacity for Bundesliga fixtures, features a free-standing, 2,500 tonne roof supporting structure. The sections of the roof overhanging the playing surface are constructed from an ultra-violet permeable foil, ensuring the pitch receives the light it needs to remain in perfect condition.

The playing area is equipped with undersoil heating and drainage. The old 70-metre floodlight pylons in the corners have been replaced by a state-of-the-art roof-mounted lighting system, comprising 150 1,500 Lux spotlights. Spectator information and entertainment is provided by two 41 square metre LED video walls. A 26,400 watt PA system featuring 66 loudspeakers guarantees superb audio effects.

The Niedersachsenstadion was completed in 1954 and has been home to Hannover 96 since 1959. Building work began in March 2003 with the demolition of the North stand.

KAISERSLAUTERN

Population: 100,000 Stadium: Fritz-Walter-Stadion Scheduled Work: Extension Investment: €48.3m Gross Capacity: 41,170 Total Seating Capacity: 41,513 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 37,084 Round of sixteen: 36,392

The Fritz-Walter-Stadion opened its doors in 1920. It is situated on the Betzenberg, a 40 metre sandstone hillock at the heart of the Palatinate metropolis, and was named after the legendary German 1954 FIFA World Cup™ captain in 1985.

Changing times and tastes are visible in the architecture at the purpose-built football arena, home to 1. FC Kaiserslautern. The ground has a distinctly modular feel thanks to a series of additions and extensions over the decades.Reconstruction for the FIFA World Cup™ was completed in November 2005. The final phase of the project comprised extensions to the West and South stands, and reconstruction of the North stand. A media tower and VIP tower will occupy the northern corners of the ground.

1. FC Kaiserslautern boast one of German football's richest and most colourful histories. The "Red Devils" have won the German championship on four occasions, most recently and uniquely in Bundesliga history as a promoted club in 1997-8 under coach Otto Rehhagel.

On 6 June 2004 Kaiserslautern hosted an international between Germany and Hungary as part of the festivities to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1954 "Miracle of Bern," which saw West Germany stun favored Hungary in the Final to claim that year’s FIFA World Cup™.

LEIPZIG

Population: 494,000 Stadium: Zentralstadion Scheduled Work: A brand new stadium Investment: €90.6m Gross Capacity: 44,199 Total Seating Capacity: 38,898 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 34,384 Round of sixteen: 34,038

After the completion of the Leipzig Zentralstadion in December 2003, the trading metropolis of Leipzig gained an architecturally distinctive and technically advanced football stadium.

The 45,000-seat arena was commissioned specifically for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. Following the peaceful revolution and reunification, Leipzig serves as the beating heart of a forward-looking, dynamic region in the east of theGerman Federal Republic. As one of a total of 12 FIFA World Cup™ host cities, Leipzig will stage four group stage matches and a match in the round of sixteen at the showcase event in summer 2006.

The new heart of the tradition-rich Leipzig Sportforum offers a unique blend of past and future. The "old" Zentralstadion, which opened in 1956 after a 15-month construction phase, was once the largest stadium in Germany with a capacity of 100,000.

In October 1997, Leipzig city council resolved to construct a new purpose-built footballstadium within the old stadium walls. Bridges connect the new stadium complex with the old walls, guiding spectators to their covered seats in the complete oval of the lower tier or the upper tiers along the sides of the playing area.The spectacular roof with integrated floodlighting provides the visual highlight at the new stadium. Outstanding acoustics are guaranteed by a finely balanced, tailored PA system.

The Leipzig Zentralstadion fulfils the detailed specifications laid down by football's world governing body FIFA, including the requirement for all-seater stadiums. Spectator safety is reinforced by an innovative emergency evacuation system.

MUNICH

Population: 1.3 million Stadium: FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich Scheduled Work: A brand new stadium Investment: approx €280m Gross Capacity: 66,016 Total Seating Capacity: 59,416 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 52,782 Round of sixteen: 52,636 Semifinals: 52,090

The arena chosen to host the German national team in the Opening Match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ on 9 June boasts a truly unique exterior, guaranteeing the stadium a place among the most unusual and spectacular venues in the world. The smooth facade formed from translucent, lozenge-shaped cushions glows in a variety of colours to imbue the structure with a shimmering, magical poetry. The 66,000 capacity stadium was inaugurated on 30 and 31 May 2005 by joint owners TSV 1860 Munich and FC Bayern Munich,Germany's most successful club. The first Bundesliga goal at the new ground was scored by England international Owen Hargreaves in Bayern's 3-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.

In a municipal referendum held in October 2002, 65.8 percent voted in favour of constructing a purpose-built football stadium. Some 37.5 percent of the citizens registered to vote actually did so, the highest-ever turnout in a Bavarian referendum. The radical concept proposed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron was adopted in February 2002.OC President Franz Beckenbauer led the ceremony to lay the foundation stone in October 2002. The seven-storey structure was completed in April 2005. Some 120,000 cubic metres of concrete and 20,000 tonnes of steel were needed.

The ground is situated to the north of the Bavarian capital in the district of Fröttmaning, with ideal traffic connections via the A9 motorway. The extraordinary facade consists of 2,874 EFTE (ethylene tetrafloroethylene) foil panels.The self-cleaning, fire, heat and cold-resistant panels are inflated to a permanent pressure of 350 Pascal. Each panel can be separately illuminated in white, blue or red, creating a breathtaking backdrop at night games. Regulations do not allow the lighting effect to be changed more than every two minutes in order to minimise distraction to motorway traffic. The three-tier arrangement in the stands is unique in the Bundesliga. The highest tier still provides superb views thanks to a steep 34 degree rake. Europe's largest underground car park on the site provides almost 10,000 parking spaces. In March 2004, FIFA named Munich as the venue for the Official Opening Ceremony of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. The ceremony takes place ahead of the Opening Match on 9 June. The new stadium is staging the Opening Match, a semi-final and four more matches at the tournament.

NUREMBERG

Population: 490,000 Stadium: Frankenstadion Scheduled Work: Reconstruction Investment: €56m Gross Capacity: 41,926 Total Seating Capacity: 36,898 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 32,341 Round of sixteen: 31,995

Only three of the stadiums of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ continue to feature an athletics track: Berlin, Stuttgart and Nuremberg. The remaining venues are all football-only stadiums. Nevertheless, the Frankenstadion boasts a unique atmosphere and superb facilities.From the planning phase onwards, reconstruction at the ground incorporated eco-friendly measures including a vast rainwater collection cistern capable of supplying the stadium's entire sprinkling and watering needs. The arena operates an "Eco Management and Audio Scheme", an environmental optimisation system designed to make the most efficient use of scarce resources.

The playing area has been lowered and additional seating installed to increase the number of seats by 5,500 to 45,500 (Bundesliga capacity). The ground floor under the main stand has been transformed into a 300 square metre Mixed Zone, underneath a three-storey VIP building for special guests and the media. All reconstruction measures were completed in April 2005.

The new Frankenstadion hosted three matches at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2005, including the group stage meeting between Germany and Argentina, and the Germany vs. Brazil semi-final.

The original 50,000 capacity Municipal Stadium took just three years to construct before opening in 1928. Following 1. FC Nuremberg's eighth German championship triumph in 1961, the city elected to reconstruct the ground in time for the Bundesliga's inaugural season. The stadium was again renovated between 1987 and 1991 and given its current name.

STUTTGART

Population: 590,000 Stadium: Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion Scheduled Work: Modernisation Investment: €51.5m Gross Capacity: 54,267 Total Seating Capacity: 47,757 (*) Purchasable Tickets Capacity (**) First round: 39,030 Round of sixteen: 38,884 Third place match: 38,538

The citizens of Stuttgart have been treated to sporting, cultural and even historic scenes aplenty at their Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. Germany met Switzerland here in 1950 in the first international on German soil following the end of the Second World War. Forty years later, on 19 December 1990, the stadium hosted the first international since reunification, another match-up between the Germans and the Swiss. The ground has been the venue for the European Champions Cup Final, a concert by the Rolling Stones, FIFA World Cup™ and European championship matches, and the athletics World Championships. Current Germany coach Jürgen Klinsmann made his final appearance as a player here on 24 May 1999.

The third phase of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ modernisation programme began in January 2004 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2005. A new seating tier will be created opposite the main stand, electronic access controls installed and two new video screens mounted, at 115 square metres viewable area and 11 tonnes apiece, the biggest of their kind in Europe.

The original Neckar-Stadion was built in 1933 to a design by architect Paul Bonatz. From 1949-51, a new open stand was built opposite the main stand and between 1955-56, the Cannstatter and Untertürkheimer ends were extended. Further extensions followed in 1971-73 and 1974 (main stand), and the pitch was modernised in 1990. The Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion was improved to FIFA World Cup™ standard as early as 1999-2001, with an investment of around DM 107m on the main stand. The focal point was the new Business Centre, containing 44 executive boxes, 1,500 business seats, a multi-storey car park with direct access, and facilities for visitors, athletes and the media.

The stadium is home to renowned Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart. A highlight of the new ground is the textile roof covering, with a supporting structure following the principle of a horizontal hub and spoke system, its fine and intricate lattice somehow reminiscent of the nearby acres of vines. The roof is created from PVC coated polyester fibre and covers the stands with some 34,000 square metres of material at heights varying between 18 and 35 metres.

(*) "Total Seating Capacity" means the Gross Capacity less the seats that can't be used due to view obstruction and security/contingency reserves for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. This capacity is estimated and may change once these deductions are finally determined.
(**) "Purchasable Ticket Capacity" means the Total Seating Capacity less tickets reserved for the media and press, the VIP requirements and complimentary tickets. This capacity is based on maximum media requirements and may change once these requirements are finally determined.