France will be aiming to capitalise on playing on home soil to triumph at Euro 2016. The last time Les Bleus played in front of their countrymen they were inspired to victory in the 1998 World Cup.
Didier Deschamps captained his team to glory and now as manager will know the benefit of having vociferous support behind his men.
In the latest Euro 2016 odds, France are backed at 3/1 to clinch the tournament on home soil.
Ten stadia will be used by the 24 teams in the tournament, which will host some enticing matches.
Stade de France, Saint-Denis (Capacity 81,338)
This was the stage of France’s 3-0 triumph over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup when a brace from Zinedine Zidane and late strike from Emmanuel Petit secured the victory for Les Bleus.
The stadium holds over 80,000 and will be where all 32 teams are vying to compete in the final on July 10. It will also hold the opening match of the competition when France take on Romania in Group A, while the Republic of Ireland and Germany will also play group matches in the venue.
Should England reach the final they will hope to avoid the fate of their rugby union compatriots, who were defeated at the stadium in the World Cup in 2007 against South Africa.
Stade Velodrome, Marseille (Capacity 67.394)
The Stade Velodrome is one of the stadia that has been renovated ahead of the competition, which saw the capacity raised by 9,000 in 2014.
England will begin their campaign at the venue when they take on Russia on June 11, with Roy Hodgson’s men eager to make a positive start to the tournament. The Three Lions have struggled in recent major competitions, so their performance there will be an excellent chance to dispel any doubters of their crown-winning credentials.
France will also play at the stadium, while it will also host the first quarter-final contest and a semi-final match in July.
Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon (Capacity 59,186)
The Parc Olympique Lyonnais is the newest stadium that will feature in the competition, which was only completed in January.
Home of Olympique Lyon, Frenchman Alexandre Lacazette scored the first goal at the ground in his side’s 4-1 win over Troyes and he will be hopeful of adding further strikes for his country pending selection at the tournament.
The first game hosted by the stadium will be an enticing contest when Belgium take on Italy in their Group E clash on June 13, while Northern Ireland will also be in action against the Ukraine. Crowds will also flock to see a round of 16 match on June 26, while it will also be the stage of the opening semi-final.
Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens (Capacity 41,233)
Home of Racing Club de Lens, the stadium was renovated ahead of the tournament and now holds up to 41,233.
The venue will host one of the most intriguing matches of the tournament when England battle Wales on June 16. It will be the first time the sides have meet since 2011 when the Three Lions defeated Wales twice in their Euro 2012 qualifiers.
Chris Coleman’s men will be determined to defy the odds to defeat England when they come to their showdown in Lens.
English teams have a solid history in the stadium as Glenn Hoddle’s team defeated Colombia 2-0 in 1998, while the rugby union side enjoyed a 28-10 victory over the USA in the 2007 World Cup. The Three Lions will be hopeful the venue will be just as good to them this time around.
