World Cup

Olympiastadion, Berlin will play host to six games at the 2006 World Cup, including the Grand Final on the 9th of July.

The original stadium was designed by Otto March for the Summer Olympics of 1916 which was subsequently aborted due to the first world war but eventually had its Olympic use in 1936. The design of the new stadium stayed in the family with the son of the first designer, Werner March, providing the inspiration for its design.

The stadium was also used for 3 matches in the 1974 World Cup.

The new stadium was inaugurated on the 31st of July after the €242million renovation and now has a capacity of 76,000 seats.

Facts
Fullname: Olympiastadion
Capacity: 74,220
Opened: 31st July, 2004

FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hanover may be better known as the AWD Arena after the reconstruction of Niedersachsenstadion which was completed in April 2005.

The original Niedersachsenstadion was completed in 1954 and was used in part of the 1974 World Cup.

Facts
Fullname: AWD Arena
Capacity: 44,652
Opened: April 2005
Pitch Size:

FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hamburg may be better known as the AOL Arena, or Volksparkstadion before AOL Time Warner purchased the naming rights in 2001.

The original name was Bahrenfelder Stadion and was inaugurated on the 13th of September, 1925 with a match between FC Altona93 and HSV in front of a 25,000 strong crowd. The stadium was rebuilt between 1951 and 1953 and was reopened on the 12th of July under the new name Volksparkstadion - Peoples Park Stadium - with a capacity of 75,000.

In 1998 the old stadium was completely demolished to make way for a new arena for the World Cup and to satisfy safety standards. In 2000 the new stadium was inaugurated when Germany beat Greece 2-0.

The old stadium was used in the 1974 World Cup and the 1988 European Football Championship.

Facts
Fullname: AOL Arena
Capacity: 51,055
Opened: 2nd September, 2000
Pitch Size: 105 x 68m

The 2006 Football World Cup (Officially titled 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany) will take place in Germany between the 9th of June and the 9th of July 2006.

After all the qualifying games, the 32 teams competing in the tournament are, in order of ranking:
Brazil [1], Czech Repbulic [2], Netherlands [3], Argentina [4], France [5], Spain [6], Mexico [7], United States [8], England [9], Portugal [10], Italy [12], Sweden [14], Japan [15], Germany [16], Iran [19], Croatia [20], Costa Rica [21], Poland [23], Tunisia [28], Korea Republic [29], Paraguay [30], Saudi Arabia [32], Switzerland [36], Equador [37], Ukraine [40], Côte d’Ivoire [41], Serbia and Montenegro [47], Australia [49], Ghana [50], Trinidad and Tobago [51], Togo [56], Angola [62].

Of these 32 team, 6 are first time qualifiers. Ukraine, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Togo and Angola.