Barcelona's Nou Camp to Host 2029 Champions League Final, Wembley Overlooked
Nou Camp Selected Over Wembley for 2029 Champions League Final
UEFA has announced that the 2029 Champions League final will take place at an upgraded Barcelona's Nou Camp, rather than London's iconic Wembley Stadium. The governing body revealed this decision on Tuesday, favoring Barcelona's venue just one year before Spain co-hosts the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco.
The final destination for the 2030 World Cup remains undecided between Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu, currently undergoing renovations, and a planned 115,000-capacity stadium in Casablanca.
2028 Final to Be Held at Allianz Arena
The UEFA executive committee also confirmed that the 2028 Champions League final will be hosted by Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. This stadium was the only bidder and will welcome the event three years after hosting the 2025 final.
Nou Camp's Renovation and History
Renovations of the Nou Camp, which can hold 105,000 fans, are still underway. Work continues on finishing the top tier and installing the roof. Barcelona last hosted the Champions League final in 1999, famously remembered for Manchester United scoring two goals during stoppage time to defeat Bayern Munich.
On the other hand, Wembley has held the final eight times since the European Cup began over 70 years ago, including three recent finals in 2011, 2013, and 2024.
This season’s final is set for Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium.
Wembley Misses Out on Other Major Event
The announcement about Wembley missing the 2029 Champions League final coincides with news that London’s bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships was also unsuccessful. The city was competing against Nairobi, Munich, and Rome, with Nairobi winning the rights to become the first African city to stage the championships.
World Athletics President Seb Coe commented, "Interest in hosting our world championships has frankly never been higher," praising all four bids as outstanding in quality, commitment, and ambition.He added, "Taking our championships to Africa for the first time will be historic. Nairobi has presented a compelling and emotional bid."Describing Nairobi, Coe said it is a fast-growing, dynamic city that serves as East Africa’s economic, cultural, and political hub. Kenya is celebrated as a great athletics nation, deeply connected to the sport through champions like Faith Kipyegon, Vivian Cheruiyot, Eliud Kipchoge, Hellen Obiri, David Rudisha, Kip Keino, Paul Tergat, and Tegla Loroupe."It was important that the World Athletics Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances. Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment to supercharge our sport, leaving a compelling legacy that inspires a continent."
