Post by : Mariam
Al-Faris
Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena is set to host the UEFA Champions League final in 2028. UEFA made the announcement on Friday while confirming a list of interested bidders for upcoming finals. The governing body clarified that while Munich was the sole bidder for 2028, the 2029 hosting race will be between Wembley Stadium in London and the newly renovated Camp Nou in Barcelona.
The long-rumored idea of holding a Champions League final in New York will not happen until at least 2030. UEFA explained that current bids only include European venues. The official bid proposals must be submitted by June 10, and final host cities will be decided in September next year.
Munich hosted last season’s final, while Wembley was the host in 2024. Barcelona last staged the final in 1999 when Manchester United famously came from behind to defeat Bayern Munich in stoppage time. Camp Nou’s ongoing renovation is expected to increase its capacity to around 105,000, making it Europe’s largest stadium.
The 2025 Champions League final will take place in Budapest’s Puskas Arena with a new early evening kickoff time. Atletico Madrid’s stadium will host the 2027 final. UEFA will also announce hosts for the Europa League and Conference League finals for the same years during next year’s meeting.
In addition to the Champions League, several major European venues are vying to host Europa and Conference League finals. Italy’s Juventus Stadium in Turin, which can hold 41,000 spectators, is among the top contenders. The French Football Federation may select either Paris’ Parc des Princes or Lyon’s home ground. Romania’s National Stadium in Bucharest has also entered the race.
Two new stadiums under construction — Serbia’s national arena in Belgrade and Turkey’s Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium — are being considered for upcoming finals. Finland’s Helsinki Olympic Stadium is also among the candidates for 2029. Meanwhile, Arena Gdansk in Poland and Lille’s home ground are in the running for both Europa and Conference League finals.
For the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Lyon’s stadium and St. Jakob Park in Basel have submitted bids for upcoming finals. Additional bids include Athletic Bilbao and Istanbul’s Galatasaray stadium for 2028, and Cardiff and Dublin for 2029. The UEFA Executive Committee is expected to finalize decisions next September.
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