St. Petersburg expects to welcome about one million people during 2020 UEFA Euro Cup

«I believe that it will be the same number compared to the [2018 FIFA] World Cup matches and it will be around one million people,» Beglov told journalists, TASS reports.

«We plan to adjust the city infrastructure and fan-zones in view of this number of one million people,» the governor stated as asked by journalists how many people were expected to visit St. Petersburg during the matches of the major European football tournament.

The matches of the 2020 Euro Cup will be held at stadiums in 12 different cities across Europe, namely in London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Glasgow (Scotland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).

Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg was granted the right to hold three group stage matches and one of the quarterfinals of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.

The newly-built football arena in St. Petersburg hosted the opening and final matches of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and also served as one of the 12 stadiums across the country hosting matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

A total of 24 national football teams will appear in the final tournament of the 2020 Euro Cup. All the 55 UEFA national member teams, including 12 teams from the hosting countries, have to qualify for the berth in the final 24-team lineup of the quadrennial European football championship.

It is possible that some of the national teams from the hosting countries of the 2020 Euro Cup will not be playing on home soil in case they fail to clear the qualifying stage.