It opened on 13 August 2001, as the new home ground for Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04.
t hosted the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final and five matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, including a quarter-final and it will host four matches in Euro 2024. It has a capacity of 62,271 (standing and seated) for league matches and 54,740 for international matches. The stadium has a retractable roof and a retractable pitch. The naming rights to the stadium were sold on 1 July 2005 to German brewery Veltins.