Millennium Stadium to host Team GB at Olympic football

The Millennium Stadium will host both the Team GB men’s and women’s Olympic football teams at next year’s London 2012 Games.

The men’s team, coached by Stuart Pearce, play their final group game – the potential group decider – at the Cardiff City centre venue on Wednesday August 1 2012.

The women’s team, coached by Hope Powell, will also appear at the home of Welsh international rugby in their group stages, opening the tournament on Wednesday July 25 and playing the second of their three knock-out stage qualification matches, on Saturday July 28.

The Welsh national stadium’s famous retractable roof will watch over 12 football matches in total, with one men’s quarter final match, a women’s quarter final match and the men’s bronze medal final also promising to be highlights.

“It is a huge honour not just for the Millennium Stadium but for Cardiff and Wales to be able to play such an important part in the London 2012 Olympics,” said Millennium Stadium general manager Gerry Toms.

“We are particularly excited about the prospect of hosting those three games in the knockout stages and the fact that we will actually host the first event of the games on 25th July is also a great honour.

“But to now find out that we are guaranteed to see both Team GB sides at the Millennium Stadium should really capture the imagination of the football watching public in Wales.

“The Olympics is a once in a lifetime event for many people and, with the football tournament providing easy access to tickets and a capacity of 74,600 here at the Millennium Stadium, we fully expect fans to turn out in their droves for the chance to be able to say ‘I was there’ and to cheer on Team GB or their adopted side.”

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has confirmed all of the dates of Team GB’s group stage fixtures ahead of London 2012 Olympic Football tickets going back on sale on November 29 2011.

The men’s team begin their London 2012 campaign at Old Trafford on Thursday 26 July, followed by Wembley Stadium on Sunday July 29 before playing their final group game at Millennium Stadium.

The women’s team begin the tournament in Cardiff and also play their second game at Millennium Stadium, before their final group stage match takes place on Tuesday July 31 at Wembley Stadium.

Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Football Tournaments will go back on sale from 11am on November 29 2011.