A lesson in simplicity, but in its own way quite exceptional, the AOL Arena has been open only five years. Rated, along with the stadiums in Munich and Gelsenkirchen, as a 5* venue by UEFA, it is an effortlessly good-looking stadium, particularly from inside where fans tower over the pitch, gaining an unbeatable view. More than a fitting replacement for the old Volksparkstadion, the new stadium is not the largest of the World Cup stadiums, but a more traditional-in-style venue will not be on show at the 2006 finals.