Wembley and Cardiff Compete for UCL Finals – How Are Hosts Chosen?
The Football Association has shown keen interest in securing the 2029 Champions League final at Wembley, while the Welsh FA has laid its claim for the Women’s Champions League final at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. But how does UEFA decide which cities will host these prestigious events?
UEFA’s Selection Process for Final Hosts
The ultimate authority for selecting the venues for the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals lies with UEFA. The process begins a few years prior to each final when UEFA’s general secretary dispatches a letter to the 55 national football associations. This letter invites submissions from potential hosting nations and stadiums, detailing available finals for which bids can be made and outlining the minimum requirements for submission.
National football associations and stadium operators that are interested then collaborate to form comprehensive bids. They aim to present convincing arguments in various areas, such as venue accessibility, surrounding events, hospitality services, and security provisions.
Once the bids are submitted, UEFA evaluates them in comparison to one another. During the assessment, UEFA might request additional information or clearer commitments regarding any proposed renovations.
Bidding periods can often span several seasons, allowing participants to propose hosting a final for a specific year or express interest over a multiple-year timeframe.
Benefits of Hosting UEFA Finals
Hosting a final event brings significant economic advantages, the most prominent being an influx of tourism from visiting fans. New stadiums often aim to secure major European finals as a means of recouping their substantial investment in construction. UEFA is generally supportive of investment in modern football infrastructure, and newer venues benefit from the latest amenities.
What Criteria Must Stadiums Meet to Host UEFA Finals?
UEFA ranks stadiums across Europe in a four-tier system, where one is the lowest rating and four is the highest. Only stadiums categorized as four can host major finals. These venues must have a minimum seating capacity of 8,000 and comply with various stringent standards, which include regulations on facilities such as:
- Pitch and dressing-room dimensions
- Adequate floodlighting
- Comprehensive CCTV coverage
- Sufficient number of turnstiles, media working areas, and parking spaces for broadcast vehicles and VIPs
The evaluation also takes into consideration regional infrastructure—such as airport capacities, available hotel accommodations, and transport links—when assessing the bids.
What About Stadium Capacity for Finals?
Champions League men’s finals are typically held in venues with at least 65,000 seats, with recent events usually hosted in stadiums housing more than 70,000 spectators. Since 2000, only three stadiums with capacities under 60,000 have hosted the men’s Champions League final: Hampden Park in Glasgow (51,866) in 2002, Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen (54,740) in 2004, and Porto’s Estadio do Dragao (50,033) during the pandemic-impacted final in 2021.
For the Europa League, the latest bidding requirements set forth by UEFA indicated that interested stadiums must accommodate between 40,000 and 60,000 attendees. The Conference League was initiated in 2021 to provide clubs from less economically robust leagues a chance to compete in the later stages of European tournaments; consequently, its finals have typically been staged in smaller venues.
The 42,000-capacity Wroclaw Stadion in Poland, which hosted the Conference League final for the 2024-25 season, is currently the largest venue for that tournament’s final. Other smaller venues like the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens (32,500) and the Fortuna Arena in Prague (19,370) have also held the event.
Which Stadiums Are in UEFA Category Four?
While UEFA does not publicly disclose a complete roster of stadiums by category, all English stadiums that have hosted Champions League matches in the last decade—including Anfield, the Emirates Stadium, Etihad Stadium, King Power Stadium, Old Trafford, St James’ Park, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Villa Park, and Wembley—are classified as category four.
In Scotland, five stadiums hold this category status: Celtic Park, Hampden Park, Ibrox, Murrayfield, and Tynecastle. The Principality Stadium in Wales also belongs to this tier and previously hosted the Champions League final in 2017.
Other prominent European venues in category four include the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the Bernabeu in Madrid, and the Nou Camp in Barcelona.
Where Will the 2026 and 2027 UEFA Finals Take Place?
UEFA has already confirmed several host cities for upcoming finals.
Men’s Champions League
- Puskas Arena – Budapest, Hungary – 67,215 – 30 May 2026
- Metropolitano Stadium – Madrid, Spain – 70,690 – 5 June 2027
Women’s Champions League
- Ullevaal Stadion – Oslo, Norway – 28,000 – 22-24 May 2026
- Stadion Narodowy – Warsaw, Poland – 56,800 – 21-23 May 2027
Europa League
- Besiktas Stadium – Istanbul, Turkey – 42,590 – 20 May 2026
- Waldstadion – Frankfurt, Germany – 58,000 – 26 May 2027
Conference League
- Red Bull Arena – Leipzig, Hungary – 47,800 – 27 May 2026
- Besiktas Stadium – Istanbul, Turkey – 42,590 – 2 June 2027
The men’s Champions League final for 2027 was initially awarded to the San Siro in Milan, Italy; however, concerns regarding its renovation plans resulted in the revocation of that decision in 2024. UEFA eventually selected Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium as the replacement venue in September 2025.
