Nou Camp snatches 2029 Champions League final from Wembley after 30-year absence

Barcelona’s Nou Camp will host the 2029 UEFA Champions League final, UEFA’s Executive Committee confirmed on Thursday, ending a 30-year absence from the showpiece event and denying Wembley a fourth final since its 2007 reopening.

The revamped stadium — currently undergoing an extensive renovation and rebranded as the Spotify Camp Nou — beat out competition from Wembley and Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion, which has never hosted the final. Wembley had most recently staged the event in 2024 and was bidding to land it once more.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta welcomed the decision. “This is an immense source of pride for FC Barcelona and for all Barça supporters,” he said. “This decision is also international recognition for the new Spotify Camp Nou, which is establishing itself as a world-class stadium at the forefront of fan experience, technology, connectivity, accessibility, and services.”

The Nou Camp’s return to the final will revive memories of one of the competition’s most dramatic nights: the 1999 final, when Manchester United scored twice in stoppage time to overturn a Bayern Munich lead and complete the treble. The stadium also hosted the 1989 European Cup final, won by AC Milan.

In a separate decision, UEFA awarded the 2028 final to Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena. The Munich ground staged last season’s final — where PSG defeated Inter Milan — and will now host the event for a third time in 16 years. That makes the Allianz Arena and Wembley the only venues to have hosted three Champions League finals since Wembley reopened in 2007.

This season’s final is scheduled for the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, which previously hosted Liverpool’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur in 2019.

Wembley’s European pedigree remains significant despite missing out on 2029. The stadium has hosted three Champions League finals and served as the centrepiece of Euro 2020 — delayed a year by the pandemic — including the final and both semi-finals. It is also set to be the focal venue for Euro 2028, which will be held across the United Kingdom.