Stade de France
The Stade de France was constructed for the 1998 World Cup Finals and, as such, quickly became part of the fabric of French football after the host nation defeated Brazil 3-0 in the final with Zinedine Zidane scoring twice.
Since then, the Stade de France has become one of Europe’s most iconic footballing theatres. It has staged two Champions League Finals, most recently in 2006 when Barcelona overcame Arsenal.
The venue will play host to seven Euro 2016 games in total, including the opening ceremony and the meeting of France and Romania on June 10 as well as the final itself on July 10.
The Stade de France has the unique distinction of having hosted both the football World Cup Final and the Rugby World Cup Final. South Africa defeated England in 2007 to claim the Webb Ellis Cup.
Sights to see:
The Stade de France is located 10km from the centre of Paris in the town of Saint-Denis. The Saint-Denis Basilica has housed the Museum of Art and History since 1981 and is located close to the famous Place Jean Jaurès market and its 300 stalls.
The Maison Coignet was the first house in France to use concrete as a building material and remains as a testament to those who built it and as a popular tourist destination.
For those seeking out nature, the Pierre de Montreuil Garden is adjacent to the Basilica while the Wilson Gardens feature a 1.3km-long promenade.
The pedestrianised town-centre hosts the Basilique shopping centre and its 85 outlets for a spot of retail therapy.
Famous Events:
Since it was built, the Stade de France has played host to some major events away from the sporting world.
Music has been a central theme. U2 took their 360° Tour to the stadium in 2009 and 2010 while Andre Rieu and AC/DC have also played the Stade de France. Beyonce and Rihanna will play there after Euro 2016.
Memorable Match:
The French World Cup-winning journey will forever be intrinsically linked with this stadium. Les Bleus eliminated Italy on penalties in the last-eight before coming from behind to deny Croatia in the semi-finals as full-back Lilian Thuram became the unlikely hero in scoring both goals.
Zidane took his place in the pantheon of the world’s greats with two headed first-half goals as France overcame Brazil in the final, sub Emmanuel Petit adding a third in stoppage time at the end of the game before captain and current French coach Didier Deschamps raised the trophy.
Group Stage Standout:
France v Romania
There is certain to be a carnival atmosphere when France kick-off Euro 2016 against Romania on June 10 in the Stade de France.
The host nation will be desperate to put on a show and ignite the will of the French people behind them as they bid for more major tournament success on home soil.