Sports
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced on Tuesday its selection of Camp Nou, home to Spanish club FC Barcelona, to host the 2029 Champions League final. This decision, favoring Camp Nou over London's iconic Wembley Stadium, positions Barcelona for a major event ahead of Spain's co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Portugal and Morocco. Regarding the 2030 World Cup, the final's venue remains contested between Real Madrid's renovated Santiago Bernabeu stadium and the new 115,000-capacity stadium under construction in Casablanca, Morocco. In other announcements, the UEFA Executive Committee confirmed the 2028 Champions League final will return to Bayern Munich's stadium, the sole candidate, three years after hosting the 2025 final. The current 2023-2024 season's final will take place in Madrid at Atlético Madrid's Metropolitano stadium. Camp Nou's selection occurs as its renovation continues, aiming for a 105,000-spectator capacity despite prior delays, with work ongoing on upper stands and the roof. Barcelona last hosted a Champions League final in 1999, witnessing Manchester United's dramatic 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich with two late goals. Since then, Wembley Stadium has hosted the final three times (2011, 2013, 2024), bringing its total to eight times since the tournament's inception 71 years ago, then known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup.
