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

Barcelona's Nou Camp to Host 2029 Champions League Final

Uefa has selected the upgraded Nou Camp in Barcelona as the venue for the 2029 Champions League final, passing over Wembley Stadium in London. The announcement came on Tuesday, signaling a major event for Barcelona just a year before Spain shares hosting duties for the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Morocco.

The decision adds weight to Spain’s preparations ahead of the 2030 World Cup, where the final venue is still under discussion between Real Madrid's revamped Santiago Bernabéu and a new stadium in Casablanca with a 115,000 capacity.

Other Hosting Decisions

Uefa's executive committee also confirmed that the 2028 Champions League final will be held at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. This stadium, which is the only applicant for 2028, recently hosted the 2025 final.

The ongoing renovation of the Nou Camp, set to reach a 105,000 capacity, is still in progress, with the top tier and roof yet to be completed. Barcelona last hosted the final in 1999, a memorable match where Manchester United scored twice in stoppage time to defeat Bayern Munich.

Wembley's Record and Recent Bids

Wembley Stadium has staged the Champions League final eight times since the competition began 71 years ago, including three finals since 2011 (in 2011, 2013, and 2024). This season's final will take place at Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano stadium.

The news that Wembley missed out on the 2029 final coincided with London failing to secure the 2029 World Athletics Championships. London competed against Nairobi, Munich, and Rome, but Nairobi was awarded the event, marking the first time an African city will host it.

World Athletics Championships Goes to Nairobi

World Athletics president Seb Coe praised the high level of interest in hosting the championships and commended the strong bids from all four cities. He highlighted the historic nature of bringing the championships to Africa for the first time and described Nairobi's bid as compelling and emotional.

"This is a fast-growing, dynamic, modern metropolis that serves as the economic, cultural, and political hub of East Africa," Coe said."Kenya is one of the great athletics nations. The sport is woven into the fabric of the country, and athletes such as world gold medallists Faith Kipyegon, Vivian Cheruiyot, Eliud Kipchoge, Hellen Obiri and David Rudisha, as well as two-time Olympic champion Kip Keino, multiple world cross-country champion Paul Tergat and multiple world half marathon champion Tegla Loroupe, have shaped the history of our sport.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."