Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano to host 2027 Champions League final for second time

Atletico Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano will host the 2027 UEFA Champions League final on Saturday, June 5, marking the second time the Madrid stadium has staged the showpiece event after a drawn-out selection process that required UEFA to reopen bidding entirely.

The path to confirming the venue was anything but straightforward. An initial 2023 bidding contest between Budapest’s Puskas Arena and Milan’s San Siro ended without a resolution: Hungary was awarded the 2026 final — where PSG ultimately beat Arsenal on penalties to retain the trophy — while the San Siro’s uncertain future made UEFA reluctant to commit to Milan. That caution proved well-founded, as the stadium’s redevelopment plans remained unresolved.

When bidding reopened in 2024, Azerbaijan put forward Baku’s Olympic Stadium and Spain nominated the Metropolitano. UEFA ultimately chose the Atletico ground, making 2027 the second time it will host a men’s Champions League final. The first occasion came in 2019, just two years after the stadium opened, when Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur in front of a Madrid crowd.

The Metropolitano is only the third-largest stadium in Spain, but UEFA has consistently praised its transport links, modern facilities, and wider infrastructure. No official explanation has been given for why it was preferred over Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu, though the Metropolitano’s relative modernity and its proven track record as a final host are likely factors. Barcelona’s Camp Nou, currently undergoing renovation, was put forward for the 2027 Women’s Champions League final — an event that will instead be held in Warsaw — with the Catalan club eyeing a bid for the men’s final in 2029.

For Atletico themselves, the draw of a home final adds an extra layer of motivation. The club reached the semi-finals last season before being eliminated by Arsenal, and have never lifted the trophy despite appearing in the final in 1974, 2014, and 2016, losing on each occasion.

The 2027 edition of the competition will again feature 36 clubs in the opening league phase, which begins in September, before the knockout rounds take over after the new year. England will be represented by five clubs — Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool — all of whom will be aiming to go the distance to Madrid.