Uefa awards 2029 Champions League final to renovated Nou Camp, snubbing Wembley

Uefa has awarded the 2029 Champions League final to Barcelona’s Nou Camp, passing over Wembley Stadium in a decision announced by the governing body’s executive committee on Tuesday. The renovated Spanish ground — still under construction, with its top tier and roof unfinished — beat out the London venue, which has hosted the final eight times since the European Cup began 71 years ago.

The choice hands Barcelona a high-profile occasion one year before Spain co-hosts the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco. That tournament’s final remains a contest between Real Madrid’s renovated Santiago Bernabéu and a proposed 115,000-capacity stadium in Casablanca.

Uefa also confirmed that the 2028 final will be held at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, which was the sole applicant for that edition. It will be the second time the Munich ground has staged the final in three years, having already been selected for the 2025 edition.

The 105,000-capacity Nou Camp last hosted the Champions League final in 1999, a night etched into football history when Manchester United scored twice in stoppage time to beat Bayern Munich and claim the treble under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Wembley’s most recent hosting of the final came in 2024, and it had also staged the showpiece in 2011 and 2013. This season’s final is scheduled to take place at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium.

The snub for Wembley arrives on the same day London was also passed over for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with Nairobi selected ahead of the British capital, Munich and Rome to become the first African city to host the event.