Commerzbank - Arena The Commerzbank - Arena is a sports stadium in Frankfurt , Hesse , Germany . Commonly known by its original name , Waldstadion ( " Forest Stadium " ) , the stadium opened in 1925 . The stadium has been upgraded several times since then ; the most recent remodelling was its redevelopment as a football - only stadium in preparation for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup . With a capacity of 51 , 500 spectators , it is among the ten largest football stadiums in Germany . The stadium was one of the nine venues of 2011 FIFA Women ' s World Cup , and hosted four matches including the final . The sports complex , which is owned by the city of Frankfurt , includes the actual stadium and other sports facilities , including a swimming pool , a tennis complex , a beach volleyball court and a winter sports hall . The arena has its own railway station , Frankfurt Stadion , on the national rail network . The Commerzbank - Arena is home stadium of football club Eintracht Frankfurt whose offices are also located on the premises . History . First stadium . The original Waldstadion was designed by the horticultural director Max Bromme and after four years of construction it was opened in May 1925 . The location was the site of a former military shooting range , and comprised a sports park with grounds and integrated velodrome and swimming pool . The stadium had a capacity of 35 , 000 spectators . The first major sporting event to be held in the Waldstadion was the final of the German Football Championship in June 1925 , in which 1 . FC Nuremberg beat FSV Frankfurt 1 – 0 . The stadium went on to host several matches of the German national team as well as international athletics meets , and considered applying to host the 1936 Summer Olympic Games before the capital , Berlin , decided to bid . In 1937 , the spectator capacity through expansion of the back straight was increased to 55 , 000 . Under the Nazi s , the Waldstadion was designated a " sports field " and used for political events , especially parades and gatherings , with up to 150 , 000 participants . One of the last sporting highlights before the Second World War was the world record over 400 m by Rudolf Harbig in August 1939 . After the war , the Stadium was used by the United States Army for a year under the name of " Victory Stadium " , before being returned to sporting use in July 1946 . Sporting highlights of the postwar period were the German Athletics Championships in 1946 , some classic local derby matches between Eintracht Frankfurt , FSV and the Kickers Offenbach , the comeback of Max Schmeling and his KO victory against Werner Vollmer on 28 September 1947 as well as the German Gymnastics Festival in 1948 . The first modification and the introduction of the Bundesliga . The first major changes to the stadium were made in the wake of a chaotic game between Eintracht Frankfurt and 1 . FC Nuremberg in May 1953 . Almost 70 , 000 tickets were sold for a stadium envisioned for only 55 , 000 spectators , and 200 fans were injured as thousands tried to force entry . The renovated and enlarged Waldstadion was reopened on 14 May 1955 after 19 months of construction work . The stadium once more hosted national team matches as well as some important games for Eintracht Frankfurt , who reached the final round of the German National Championships in 1959 . During the run to the final , 81 , 000 watched Eintracht beat FK Pirmasens - an attendance record that still stands . In December 1960 , an ice rink was opened within the oval of the velodrome . Here , the ice hockey team of Eintracht Frankfurt played their home games until 1981 . Also in 1960 the stadium was given floodlings , then among the most modern floodlights in Germany and certainly sufficient to continue hosting international matches . The first Bundesliga game in the Waldstadion took place on 24 August 1963 - a 1 – 1 draw with 1 . FC Kaiserslautern on the first day of the new German national league . The stadium hosted the World Championships in track cycling in 1966 and the fight for the heavyweight boxing championship between Muhammad Ali and Karl Mildenberger on 10 September 1966 , won by Ali with a knockout in the 12th round in front of 22 , 000 spectators . Second reconstruction . The second major renovation of the Waldstadion was needed for the 1974 FIFA World Cup . From May 1972 to January 1974 , the stadium was rebuilt virtually from scratch to meet the requirements of the World Cup venues in comfort and safety . With Berlin behind the " iron curtain " , the opening ceremony of the 1974 World Cup was held at the Waldstadion , as were five matches - including the memorable " Wasserschlacht von Frankfurt " ( " Water - battle of Frankfurt ) , in which the German team defeated Poland 1 – 0 on a nearly unplayable surface to proceed to the final . In 1978 , improved drainage and undersoil heating were installed . The stadium continued to host international athletics throughout the 1970s , as well as important European football games as Eintracht Frankfurt continued to be a strong team within Germany . New events in the 1980s and 90s . The stadium had always attracted national sporting events , with DFB - Pokal ( German cup ) finals , German Athletics Championships and German Gymnastics Festivals - and several matches of UEFA Euro 1988 - but during the 1980s and 1990s the stadium began to host more and more non - sporting events . Concerts by international acts such as Supertramp , Bruce Springsteen , Madonna , Prince , the Rolling Stones , Tina Turner , U2 and Bon Jovi as well as German artists such as Marius Müller - Westernhagen brought in revenue , and the scheduling of a Michael Jackson concert even caused the important league game between Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich to be rescheduled . In 1987 , the German Protestant Church Day was held at the stadium . New sports were also brought to the stadium : the 1992 and 1994 Federation Cup in Women ' s Tennis and from 1991 the Waldstadion became home to Frankfurt Galaxy , an American Football team competing initially in the World League of American Football . The team were the first WLAF team to score points , but went on to lose the inaugural match . Until 2007 , when the team was retired , Frankfurt Galaxy maintained a rivalry with Rhein Fire . In 1998 and 2000 , the Waldstadion was the venue for the World Bowl , the final match of the NFL Europe . For much of the 1990s and early 2000s , however , the football that formed the main attraction at the Waldstadion was only second - class in status . Eintracht Frankfurt were relegated to the Second Bundesliga in 1996 for 2 years , then again in 2001 for 2 years , and again in 2004 for one year . Since their return to the top - flight in 2005 , Eintracht Frankfurt have managed to keep top - flight football at the stadium . The ladies were more successful : the first final of the newly - introduced Women ' s European Cup was held at the stadium in May 2002 , and the home team of 1 . FFC Frankfurt beat Swedish side Umeå IK 2 – 0 to lift the trophy . Upon completion of the 2001 / 2002 season , construction work began in June 2002 on the latest rebuilding of the stadium . Today ' s arena . Construction and architecture . The current arena is the fourth on the site . It was designed in 2000 by the Hamburg architects Gerkan , Marg and Partners in collaboration with the Stuttgart engineers Schlaich , Berger und Partner and built from 2002 to 2005 for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany . While matches continued , the old stadium was pulled down and a new one built on a stand - by - stand basis . Official documents talked of a " rebuilding " , but the end result is a brand new stadium on the same site . The present Commerzbank - Arena is a pure football stadium in contrast to the previous building and has no athletics track . While at the old stadium , some spectators were up to 125 meters from the pitch because of the athletics track , today no spectator is more than 60 meters from the pitch . The 51 , 500 spectators at the football matches are divided into two ranks , as well as a two - storey " Zwischenband " ( central band ) in which is located 74 " business - boxes " . During American football games as well as at international football matches , the standing area is usually converted into a seating area , resulting in a reduced capacity of 48 , 500 spectators . In the games of the 2006 World Cup , the official capacity according to FIFA was 48 , 000 . During concerts , with fans able to stand on the pitch area , the capacity is 65 , 000 . The slightly curved grandstands are embedded in the existing embankments . An integrated garage has 1800 parking spaces . The stadium is 210 meters long and 190 meters wide , has a gross floor area of approximately 110 , 000 m² and an enclosed space of approximately 480 , 000 cubic meters . The most striking feature is the 37 , 500 m² large tent , which is modeled on a rim with spokes . The roof load of 3 , 000 tons is supported by 44 main pillars derived by means of wire cables and an outer compression ring on the outer walls of the stadium . The inner roof covered with 9 , 000 square meters , the entire board , and after presentation of the arena operator , " the largest steel - cable - membrane inner roof " in the world . It can be completely folded away into the centrally mounted , 30 tonne and 31 m³ video cube . The stadium is therefore also called " the biggest convertible in the world " . The process of closing and opening of the roof , manufactured from Teflon - coated polyester fabric , takes about 15 to 20 minutes . The roof is not closed in bad weather or snow . The retractable roof is similar to BC Place Stadium in Vancouver , BC , Canada and the new Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw , Poland . The lockable roof allows for running events in heavy rain , although there were initially some problems with the system : in June 2005 during the final of the Confederations Cup , misaligned runoff channels led to runoff water overflowing onto the pitch near the corner flag , awaking unwelcome memories of the " Water Battle " of 1974 . During normal league use in 2005 , the opening mechanism failed due to a hydraulics failure . The rain water collected in the folds of the half - open roof and selectively streamed onto the lawn . There have been no further problems , but the roof is usually left open during Bundesliga games . Current usage . The new Waldstadion is primarily designed as a football arena , but can be used for other turf sports like American football and major events . The grandstand offers rooms that are for meetings , conventions and other events in external markets . The new arena was officially opened at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup , the test run for the 2006 World Cup . Both the opening match ( Germany 4 – 3 Australia ) and the final ( Brazil 4 – 1 Argentina ) were hosted at the stadium . During the South Korea vs Togo match , the roof was closed over the stadium , despite the weather being dry and sunny , presumably to shade the whole pitch and avoid the effects of the shadow . This decision was criticised by some because it meant the stadium became very hot and humid on an already hot and humid day . Football . Main users of the new Arena is the football team Eintracht Frankfurt , which has used the stadium as its home base since 1963 . The biggest victory yet recorded in the new stadium was achieved in the DFB Cup 3rd Round match against Schalke 04 in the 2005 / 06 season ( 6 – 0 ) . The first European matches in the new stadium took place in the 2006 / 07 season , against Brøndby ( 4 – 0 ) , Palermo ( 1 – 2 ) and Newcastle United ( 0 – 0 ) . In addition , the stadium also serves occasionally as an alternative venue for home games of other teams : 1 . FSV Mainz 05 played their qualifying matches for the 2005 - 06 UEFA Cup against the Armenia n representatives Mika and against Keflavík ÍF from Iceland and for the 1st Round proper against Sevilla FC in the Commerzbank Arena . The women of the local football team 1 . FFC Frankfurt defeated Umeå IK 3 - 2 in the stadium on 24 May 2008 in the final second leg of UEFA Women ' s Cup , winning the European Cup for the third time and setting up a record for women ' s club football of 27 , 500 spectators . SV Wehen Wiesbaden played the first match of the 2007 / 08 season of the 2nd league in the Commerzbank - Arena , as their own Brita - Arena had not been completed on time . Due to the construction of Frankfurter Volksbank Stadion , FSV Frankfurt from the Second Bundesliga played season 2008 / 09 at the Commerzbank Arena . The Turkish Football Federation has also staged several games in the arena , as Turks form a significant ethnic minority in Germany . Beşiktaş won the Turkish Super Cup with a 1 - 0 win over Galatasaray . Due to the suspension by UEFA of the Turkish national stadium , the qualifying matches for the UEFA Euro 2008 against Malta ( final score 2 – 0 to Turkey ) , against Moldova ( 5 – 0 for the Turks ) and against Norway ( final score 2 – 2 ) were also played here . American football . The Waldstadion from 1991 to 2007 , with a few interruptions , was home stadium for the Frankfurt Galaxy American Football team . The Galaxy were founder members of the World League of American Football , which became NFL Europe , and scored the first on - field points of the league in the inaugural match against the London Monarchs on 23 March 1991 ( a match they went on to lose 11 : 24 ) . NFL Europe folded in 2007 , and Frankfurt Galaxy disappeared with them . However , American Football is still played at the stadium : since 2008 , it has hosted the final of the German Bowl , final match of the German Football League . An average of around 15 , 000 fans watched the 2008 and 2009 finals . The stadium will host the opening game and playoff matches of the 2010 EFAF European Championship from 24 - 31 July . Other major events . Since the 1980s , the stadium has been host to concerts which attract crowds of up to 60 , 000 as , for example , in 1987 when Madonna played her first German concert there . Since the rebuilding of the stadium , the Commerzbank - Arena has hosted international artists such as Michael Jackson , Tina Turner , The Rolling Stones , Depeche Mode , U2 , Genesis & Bon Jovi , as well as German stars such as Herbert Grönemeyer . Although the stadium can no longer host Athletics meetings , the International German Gymnastics Festival has returned to the arena , and screenings of major football matches live have also attracted large crowds , for example during UEFA Euro 2008 . Since 2006 , one of the annual congress ' of the German Jehovah ' s Witnesses has been held at the stadium . Naming rights . As part of a naming sponsorship by Commerzbank AG , the Waldstadion was renamed the Commerzbank - Arena on 1 May 2005 for ten years . Commerzbank will pay around 30 million Euros to the city hosting company as part of the deal . During the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup , the stadium was officially referred to as the " FIFA World Cup Stadium Frankfurt " , as FIFA rules do not permit commercial naming of stadia . The lettering of Commerzbank on the roof of the stadium is one of the largest neon signs in the world , and can reach almost the size of the famous Hollywood Signs . The renaming of the Waldstadion has been controversial , particularly among fans of Eintracht Frankfurt football club . Many continue to speak of the " Waldstadion , " in everyday speech which is reflected by fan chants against commercialization . Even Rolf Mueller , President of Hesse ' s Sports Organization , sees the loss of the historic name as a loss of sporting identity . In the media , the stadium is sometimes called the World Cup Arena . Miscellaneous . As with other modern stadiums with grandstands close to the pitch and comprehensive roofing of spectator stands , the quality of the turf at the Commerzbank - Arena is lower than at a comparable athletics stadium . The turf has had to be completely replaced more often than the old Waldstadion . In the autumn of 2007 , a special lighting system was installed that encourages grass growth even on cold dark days , meaning that the turf has to be replaced less often . A few days after a Madonna concert in September 2008 , a league game at the stadium had to be called off due to the state of the pitch . While the turf was replaced after the concert , the grass had not rooted sufficiently in the subsoil and the referee judged that the risk of injury to the players was too great . In January 2007 a chapel was consecrated in the arena . After the chapels in Berlin ' s Olympic Stadium and the Veltins - Arena in Gelsenkirchen , this is the third prayer room in a German stadium . The Protestant pastor , Freddie Green , is well known in Germany as a composer of modern church music . In November 2007 , the Eintracht Museum in the Commerzbank - Arena was opened . Over 400 square meters of exhibition documented more than one hundred years of Eintracht Frankfurt ' s history . In 2010 - 2011 National Arena was built in Bucharest , using the same project as Commerzbank Arena . 2006 FIFA World Cup . The stadium was one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup . The following games were played at the stadium during the World Cup of 2006 : Other events . The following musicians have performed at the Waldstadion : In August and September 2007 , the Commerzbank - Arena temporarily served as the home ground of the newly promoted 2nd Bundesliga side SV Wehen Wiesbaden , because their new stadium , the Brita - Arena , was not ready to host matches until October . The club played four league matches in the stadium , staying undefeated as they won three times and drew once . In 2008 - 09 , the ground is also home ground of Bornheim based club FSV Frankfurt whose actual stadium Bornheimer Hang was not proved as suitable for the 2nd Bundesliga . Ironically the Bornheimer Hang was renovated for 3rd Liga ' s needs and now serves as home ground for Eintracht Frankfurt ' s reserve team , Eintracht Frankfurt U23 . The Commerzbank - Arena was also the home ground of NFL Europe ' s Frankfurt Galaxy , and hosted three World Bowl s . It hosted its third and final World Bowl on June 23 , 2007 , when the Frankfurt Galaxy lost to the Hamburg Sea Devils in World Bowl XV .