Barcelona’s Nou Camp Chosen Over Wembley for 2029 Champions League Final

UEFA has confirmed that the 2029 Champions League final will be held at Barcelona’s renovated Nou Camp, edging out London’s Wembley Stadium. This announcement came on Tuesday, marking a significant win for Spain ahead of the 2030 World Cup co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

Details Behind the Choice

The upgraded Nou Camp is still undergoing work, with the top tier and roof yet to be completed. The stadium’s capacity is expected to reach 105,000 after reconstruction. Barcelona previously hosted the Champions League final in 1999, a memorable match where Manchester United scored twice during stoppage time to defeat Bayern Munich.

Wembley, which has hosted the final eight times since the European Cup started 71 years ago and most recently in 2024, will miss out on this event. The stadium did hold the final three times in the last decade (2011, 2013, and 2024).

Other Venue Announcements

UEFA's executive committee also confirmed that the 2028 Champions League final will be at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena. Despite having hosted the final in 2025, it was the only applicant for 2028.

The upcoming 2026 final is set for Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium.

Wembley Misses Out on Other Major Events

On the same day as the Champions League announcement, London learned it lost the bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships. The competition for hosting rights included Nairobi, Munich, and Rome. Nairobi won, becoming the first African city to stage the event.

Seb Coe, World Athletics president, said: "The interest in hosting our world championships has frankly never been higher. Nairobi has presented a compelling and emotional bid." He added that Kenya’s deep connection to athletics, highlighted by champions like Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge, and David Rudisha, made it the right choice."This is a fast-growing, dynamic, modern metropolis that serves as the economic, cultural, and political hub of East Africa," Coe said. "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."