History of Allianz Arena in Timeline

Allianz Arena is a prominent football stadium in Munich, Germany, renowned for its 70,000-75,000 seating capacity and distinctive exterior. It is constructed with inflated ETFE plastic panels, making it the first stadium globally with a full color-changing exterior. Located in northern Munich, it stands as the second-largest stadium in Germany.

1964: Franz Beckenbauer started playing with Bayern Munich

Franz Beckenbauer played with Bayern Munich from 1964 to 1977.

1972: Bayern Munich move to Munich Olympic Stadium

In 1972, Bayern Munich started playing their home games at the Munich Olympic Stadium.

1977: Franz Beckenbauer finished playing with Bayern Munich

Franz Beckenbauer played with Bayern Munich from 1964 to 1977.

2001: Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH founded

In 2001, the Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH was founded by the two football clubs, Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich, that called the stadium home.

October 2002: Allianz Arena Construction Begins

On 21 October 2002, the construction of the Allianz Arena began.

October 2002: Voters approve construction of new stadium

On 21 October 2002, voters approved the construction of a new stadium in the proposed location and authorized the city of Munich to provide the necessary infrastructure.

2002: Construction started

In late 2002 construction of the Allianz Arena started.

March 2004: Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Sr. and Jr. Charged with Corruption

On 9 March 2004, Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Sr., president of TSV 1860 Munich, his son Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Jr., chief executive officer of Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH, and two others were charged with corruption and taken into custody. On 12 March, Wildmoser Sr. struck a plea bargain and was released.

August 2004: District Attorney filed charges against Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Jr.

On 23 August 2004, the District Attorney filed charges against Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Jr., accusing him of fraud, corruption and tax evasion.

March 2005: Inaugural Exhibition Games sold out

Both games on 30 May 2005 and 31 May 2005 had been sold out since early March 2005.

April 2005: Construction Completed

Construction of the Allianz Arena was completed by the end of April 2005.

May 2005: Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Jr. Convicted

On 13 May 2005, Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Jr. was convicted and sentenced by a Munich court to four and a half years in prison.

May 2005: Inaugural Exhibition Games at Allianz Arena

On 30 May 2005, 1860 Munich played an exhibition game against 1. FC Nürnberg and won, 3–2. The next day, Bayern Munich played a game against the Germany national team. Both games had been sold out since early March 2005.

May 2005: Official Opening of Allianz Arena

On 30 May 2005, the Allianz Arena was officially opened.

June 2005: First arena derby

On 2 June 2005, the first "arena derby" took place between the two tenants, TSV 1860 and Bayern Munich. TSV 1860 won.

July 2005: First goal in a competitive game

On 26 July 2005, the first goal in a competitive game at Allianz Arena was scored by Roy Makaay of FC Bayern in the semi-finals of 2005 DFL-Ligapokal. In the same game, Thomas Hitzlsperger of VfB Stuttgart scored the first goal in an official game by a visiting team. The game ended with a 2–1 win for Stuttgart.

August 2005: First goal in a league game

On 5 August 2005, the first goal in a league game at Allianz Arena was scored by Owen Hargreaves of FC Bayern in its 2005–06 Bundesliga season opener against Borussia Mönchengladbach, which the home team won 3–0.

September 2005: First league goal by a visiting team

On 9 September 2005, the first goal in a league game by a visiting team at Allianz Arena was scored by Dynamo Dresden in the 2. Bundesliga match against 1860 Munich. Dynamo Dresden won the game 2-1.

November 2005: First league goal against FC Bayern Munich

On 5 November 2005, the first goal against FC Bayern Munich in a league game at Allianz Arena was scored by Miroslav Klose of Werder Bremen in the first minute of play. Bayern Munich won the game with a final score of 3–1.

2005: Bayern Munich move to Allianz Arena

In 2005, Bayern Munich started playing their home games at the Allianz Arena, moving from the Munich Olympic Stadium, their home since 1972.

January 2006: Legal capacity of the stadium increased

On January 16, 2006, the city approved modifications which increased the legal capacity of the Allianz Arena from 69,000 to 71,000 spectators, including standing room.

April 2006: FC Bayern Munich Buys TSV 1860 Munich's Share in the Allianz Arena

In April 2006, FC Bayern Munich bought out TSV 1860 Munich's 50 per cent share in the Allianz Arena for a reported €11 million.

August 2006: Corruption affair relating to the stadium occupied the football world and German courts.

Between March 2004 and August 2006, a corruption affair relating to the stadium occupied the football world and German courts.

August 2006: Federal Court of Justice Rejected the Appeal

In August 2006, the Federal Court of Justice rejected the appeal of Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Jr.

2006: Allianz Arena Naming Rights During 2006 FIFA World Cup

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the Allianz Arena was referred to as FIFA WM-Stadion München due to FIFA's policies forbidding corporate sponsorship from companies that are not official tournament partners.

2006: Allianz logo covered during 2006 FIFA World Cup

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the Allianz logo was covered at the Allianz Arena because Allianz is not an official sponsor of UEFA and FIFA competitions.

2006: 1860 Munich sells share to Bayern Munich

In 2006, 1860 Munich sold its 50% share of the Allianz Arena to Bayern Munich for €11 million to resolve a financial crisis.

2006: FIFA World Cup Games

In 2006, the Allianz Arena held several games during the FIFA World Cup. Due to sponsorship restrictions, it was referred to as FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich.

November 2007: 1860 Munich Resigns Right to Buy Back Share

In November 2007, 1860 Munich resigned its right to buy back their 50 per cent share of the Allianz Arena.

June 2010: End of buy back period for 1860 Munich

The agreement between Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich initially allowed 1860 the right to buy back their 50 per cent share of the Allianz Arena for the price of sale plus interest anytime before June 2010.

May 2012: 2012 UEFA Champions League final and FC Bayern Erlebniswelt opens

On 19 May 2012, the 2012 UEFA Champions League final took place at the Allianz Arena where Chelsea won against Bayern Munich on penalties after the game had tied 1–1. On 25 May 2012, Bayern opened a museum about its history, FC Bayern Erlebniswelt, inside the Allianz Arena.

2012: FC Bayern Erlebniswelt opens

In 2012, the museum of Bayern Munich, FC Bayern Erlebniswelt, was established inside the Allianz Arena.

2012: Allianz Arena uses white lights for the 2012 UEFA Champions League final

In 2012, white was used as the colour of the lights when the Allianz Arena was a neutral venue, like the 2012 UEFA Champions League final.

2012: Capacity increase for domestic and UEFA matches

Prior to the 2012–13 season, Bayern Munich announced that the capacity of the Allianz Arena had been increased to 71,000 for domestic matches and 68,000 for UEFA matches, with the addition of 2,000 seats in the upper tier of the arena.

April 2013: FC Bayern to sell additional tickets in Südkurve

On 28 April 2013, FC Bayern announced it would be selling 300 more tickets in the Südkurve starting with the 2013–14 Bundesliga season.

January 2014: FC Bayern discusses further Allianz Arena expansion

On 21 January 2014, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge declared that FC Bayern was discussing a further expansion of the Allianz Arena, with plans to install about 2,000 new seats in the upper tier and about 2,000 more tickets in the Nord- and Südkurve.

August 2014: Allianz Arena capacity expansion completed

In August 2014, it was reported that the capacity expansion was completed at the Allianz Arena, leading to a new maximum capacity of 75,024 in the Bundesliga and 69,334 in international matches.

January 2015: Expansion approved to increase stadium capacity

In January 2015, an expansion was approved to expand the Allianz Arena's capacity to 75,000 for Bundesliga Games and 70,000 for games in the Champions League.

2016: TSV 1860 Munich relegated

In 2016, TSV 1860 Munich was relegated to 3. Liga.

July 2017: Bayern terminates rental contract with 1860 Munich

In July 2017, Bayern Munich terminated the rental contract with 1860 Munich, making themselves the sole tenants of the Allianz Arena.

February 2022: NFL International Series Game

On 9 February 2022, the Allianz Arena was selected to host a regular-season game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as part of the NFL International Series. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21–16.

2022: Allianz Arena hosts NFL game

In 2022, the Allianz Arena hosted the first regular season National Football League (NFL) American football game played in Germany as part of the NFL International Series.

2023: UEFA Champions League Final moved from 2023

The UEFA Champions League Final was originally planned for 2023 at Allianz Arena, but was later moved to 2025.

September 2024: Stadium address change announced

On 19 September 2024, it was announced that the stadium's address would be changed to "Franz Beckenbauer Platz 5" in honour of Franz Beckenbauer.

November 2024: Second NFL International Series Game

On 10 November 2024, Allianz Arena hosted its second NFL International Series regular-season game. The Carolina Panthers defeated the New York Giants 20–17 in overtime.

2024: Allianz logo removed during UEFA Euro 2024

During UEFA Euro 2024, the Allianz logo was removed at the Allianz Arena because Allianz is not an official sponsor of UEFA and FIFA competitions.

2024: UEFA Euro 2024 Matches

In 2024, the Allianz Arena was the venue for four group stage matches, including the opening match, a round of 16 match, and a semi-final match during the UEFA Euro 2024.

2024: Allianz Arena to host UEFA Euro 2024 matches

The Allianz Arena is scheduled to host matches during UEFA Euro 2024.

May 2025: Stadium address officially changed

The change of the Allianz Arena's address to "Franz Beckenbauer Platz 5" took effect on 1 May 2025, before that year's Champions League final which the stadium hosted.