Barcelona’s Camp Nou to Host 2029 Champions League Final, Munich Confirmed for 2028

UEFA announced on Tuesday that Barcelona’s renovated Camp Nou will host the 2029 Champions League final, edging out London’s Wembley Stadium. This marks a sign of improving relations following the divisive European Super League episode.

The selection gives Barcelona a premier event just one year before Spain co-hosts the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco. The 2030 World Cup final venue is still undecided, with competition between Real Madrid’s revamped Santiago Bernabéu and a new 115,000-seat stadium being constructed in Casablanca.

Munich Confirmed for 2028 Final

UEFA’s executive committee also confirmed that the 2028 Champions League final will return to Bayern Munich’s stadium. It was the only city to submit a bid and will host the final for the second time within a short span, after previously hosting it in 2025.

Camp Nou Rebuild and Features

The 105,000-seat Camp Nou, which is undergoing a long-delayed renovation, will be Europe’s largest soccer stadium once complete. The upper tier and roof remain under construction.

Barcelona highlighted the stadium’s unique hospitality and VIP amenities, aiming to set new standards for comfort and service for fans and guests.

More Tickets for Fans

The stadium’s size will allow a greater number of tickets to be allocated to supporters of the finalist teams. For comparison, in the recent Champions League final at Budapest’s Puskás Arena, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal each received 17,200 tickets from the total 61,400 available.

Historical Context

• Barcelona last hosted the Champions League final in 1999, famously marked by Manchester United’s late comeback against Bayern Munich.
• Camp Nou also held the 1989 European Cup final.
• Wembley has hosted three finals since then—in 2011, 2013, and 2024—and eight overall since the European Cup began 71 years ago.
• This season’s Champions League final will take place at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium.

Women’s Champions League and Other Finals

• Eight-time Women’s Champions League winner Lyon will host the women’s final in 2028.
• Cardiff will host the women’s final in 2029 at its national stadium, which also hosts the opening match of the men’s 2028 European Championship.
• The Europa League finals for 2028 and 2029 are set for Romania’s national stadium in Bucharest and a new Serbian national stadium near Belgrade, respectively.
• The Conference League finals will be in Turin (2028) at Juventus’ 41,000-seat stadium and Budapest (2029) at the 67,000-seat Puskás Aréna.

Background on UEFA and Club Relations

Barcelona secured this hosting opportunity seven months after officially withdrawing legal challenges against UEFA tied to the Super League initiative, which collapsed quickly in 2021. Juventus also withdrew from Super League legal action in 2023, earning UEFA’s favor with the Conference League final hosting rights.

Real Madrid, the last of the Super League founders to pull out, settled with UEFA in February. The Santiago Bernabéu, now holding 78,000 fans for big matches, has hosted four European Cup or Champions League finals, though not since 2010.

Recent Controversies and UEFA Sanctions

Serbian soccer has strengthened ties with UEFA, co-hosting the Under-21 Euros next year with Albania. Yet, tensions remain; recently, Red Star Belgrade was fined after fans chanted in honor of war criminal Ratko Mladić during a Europa League match, shortly after his death.