Champions League Final Stadiums Overview
Contents
As the largest club tournament in Europe and the world, the Champions League has seen its fair share of classics over the years. And of course, none of this would have been possible without the iconic Champions League stadiums being used to host such intense matches.
While we all appreciate the quality of the teams, players, and exquisite football that the competition's final has shown in the past, we're focusing on the stadiums that have hosted them.
Most importantly, apart from the group stages and knockout out matches in the UEFA Champions League, the venues hosting the finals are closely scrutinized. Football fans are always curious to see which stadium will be handed the ultimate test.
So, with so many stadiums to choose from in Europe, we have a feeling that you will have some fond memories of some of the games and stadiums we’ll be talking about, so let’s dive right in.
Estadio da Luz – Portugal
The Estadio da Luz hosted the 2019/2020 Champions League final between Bayern Munich and PSG, and also the 2013/14 final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
The stadium itself is pretty well equipped for an event of this magnitude too, which is probably why it has been picked twice. Having been built in 2003 for a grand total of €162 million, it’s an excellent purpose-built venue that supports almost 65,000 spectators at full capacity.
The two finals that this stadium hosted in the last 10 years have been quite different. In the 2013/2014 final, Real Madrid destroyed Atletico Madrid by 4-1, even though the game went to extra-time. This was a game full of intensity, and it was played in front of around 61,000 fans.
This stood in stark contrast to when in 2020, the Champions League Final was played behind closed doors due to the Covid pandemic. Those watching at home saw Bayern Munich ultimately emerge as the winners with a narrow 1-0 victory over PSG.
Metropolitano Stadium – Spain
The 2018/2019 final was the only time in the last 10 years that two English teams competed for this trophy. Of course, this game was played between Tottenham and Liverpool, with 63,000+ spectators in attendance at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Although this final consisted of two English teams, the stadium is the home of Atletico Madrid. And in our opinion, out of the several Champions League final stadiums we’ve mentioned here, this one has one of the best atmospheres when the capacity reaches almost 100%.
This stadium has a rather unique history too, as it was completely closed from 2004 to 2017, before being renovated for the cost of around €240 million. It would seem that the renovations caught the right people's attention too, as it hosted this magnificent spectacle just two years later.
NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium – Ukraine
Ukraine has had its fair share of turbulence over the years, although for the 2017/2018 final, the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium was selected to host the Champions League final. While the stadium allowed for a maximum capacity of just over 70,000, it supported over 100,000 fans back in 1977 when Bayern Munich played Dynamo Kyiv.
In 2018, Real Madrid managed to dispatch Liverpool by a score of 3-1. Of course, this was the infamous game where Ramos took the in-form Mo Salah out of the game by dragging him to the ground by the shoulder. Intentional or not, this has been a huge topic of discussion ever since the game, and it’s one of the most-talked-about Champions League moments of the last decade.
The match is also famous for all a couple of the goals scored by Real Madrid on the night. The first one, scored by Karim Benzema, was one of the most freakish goals in UCL final history while the second, scored by Gareth Bale, was a breathtaking overhead kick that is regarded by many as the best UCL final goal of all time.
Principilaity Stadium – Wales
Depending on which team you were rooting for in the 2016/2017 final, you would have felt absolute ecstasy or despair following the conclusion of this one. Real Madrid fans saw Los Blancos mount the first successful title defence since 1990 while Juventus fans saw their side lose their fifth consecutive Champions League final since lifting the coveted trophy back in 1996. .
While Mario Mandzukic did score one of the best goals ever seen in a Champions League final, it still wasn’t enough to knock Real Madrid their game. The stadium too was the perfect fit for this game. The Welsh venue saw more than 65,000 pour through the doors for this game, and it was the very first time that a Champions League final was played with a closed roof.
San Siro – Italy
The 2015/2016 final marked the start of a historic Real Madrid run, although we didn’t know it at the time. When Real Madrid managed to wriggle past Atletico Madrid at San Siro, the stage was set for the hat-trick of Champions League trophies that the club lifted.
This drama-filled cross-city clash saw Real Madrid won by 5-3 on penalties, and with almost 72,000 fans in attendance, we can only imagine the nerves when taking those final shots. With that said, it must have been magical at the same time, to win at one of the biggest football stadiums in the whole of Europe!
Olympiastadion – Germany
Apologies if you are a Juventus fan, but the team was eventually outclassed in the 2014/2015 final, losing to Barcelona by a 3-1 scoreline. This game was played at the Olympiastadion in Germany, and with goals from Alvaro Morata, Luis Suarez and Neymar, Barcelona managed to destroy the Italian squad with fierce and skillful play ultimately. The 70,000+ strong crowd made it one of the best-attended finals over the last 10 years.
We must say, the Olympiastadion was a great pick over the other Champions League final stadiums that could have hosted the game. This was backed up by the fans' noise, the pitch's quality, and the event's general organisation too. It was just magnificent, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the stadium is picked to host such an event in the future.
Wembley Stadium – England
Wembley has played host to the Champions League final on eight occasions, more than any other venue. The best club side of all time, the 2009 Barcelona team, had their crowning moment at the venue when they beat Man Utd 3-1 thanks to goals from Pedro, Messi and Villa.
Two years later, the final was held here again when Bayern Munich and Borussia Drotmund faced off. When you match up two sides from the same country it always makes for a special game, and this one lived up to expectations. It wasn’t a super high-scoring game, as Bayern ultimately won the game 2-1, but it was full of flair and drama.
The most recent Champions League final was also held at Wembley and it saw the return of Borussia Dortmund. Unfortunately, the Yellow and Blacks lost out again, this time to Real Madrid.
Allianz Arena – Germany
As it happens, this was the only final in the last decade where one team actually had the chance to play at their home stadium. During the 2011/2012 final, Bayern Munich made the final and received the honour of playing in front of home fans at the Allianz Stadium.
In this contest, Bayern Munich played the in-form Chelsea, and while the game went right down to the wire with penalties needed to find a winner, Chelsea ultimately won the game. The Allianz Arena recorded 62,500 attendees for this game, which made the atmosphere absolutely electric, especially since there was a German team involved.
And when we look back at some of our favourite Champions League final moments, we cannot ignore Didier Drogba’s chipped penalty during the shootout. Not only was this incredibly daring, but to have the courage and the audacity to do that in the first place was nothing short of legendary.
Santiago Bernabeu – Spain
Since Wembley hosted the 2010/2011 final, we will run through a bonus game here, highlighting the 2009/2010 final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. This stadium has been entertaining football fans since 1947, and with it being the home of Real Madrid, it’s a stadium that is just perfect for a Champions League final.
This game saw an impressive number of fans flock to the ground to watch the clash too, with more than 73,000 being the official count. As it happens, Inter Milan managed to beat Bayern Munich in this one by 2-0, which naturally boosted the already inflated ego of Jose Mourinho!
This is one of the reasons why we loved this final so much, however, as it was quite amazing to see Mourinho demonstrate his managerial abilities to achieve such success with Inter Milan. This was all done despite Bayern Munich being the overwhelming favourites.
Recent Champions League Finals
Here is a list of the recent UCL finals, where they were played, the season and who won.
| # |
Champions League finals |
Venue |
Year |
Winner |
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid |
Wembley Stadium, London |
2024 | Real Madrid |
| 2 | Manchester City vs Inter Milan |
Ataturk Olympiqe Sadium,Istanbul |
2023 | Manchester City |
| 3 | Liverpool vs Real Madrid |
Stade de France, Paris |
2022 |
Real Madrid |
| 4 | Chelsea vs Manchester City |
Estadio do Dragao, Porto |
2021 |
Chelsea |
| 5 | PSG vs Bayern |
Estadio da Luz, Lisbon |
2020 |
Bayern |
| 6 | Tottenham vs Liverpool |
Civitas Metropolitano, Madrid |
2019 |
Liverpool |
| 7 | Real Madrid vs Liverpool | Olympic National Sports Complex, Kyiv | 2018 |
Real Madrid |
| 8 | Juventus vs Real Madrid |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff |
2017 |
Real Madrid |
| 9 | Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid |
San Siro, Italy |
2016 |
Real Madrid |
| 10 | Juventus vs Barcelona |
Olympiastadion, Berlin |
2015 |
Barcelona |
| 11 | Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid |
Estadio da Luz, Lisbon |
2014 |
Real Madrid |
| 12 | Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern |
Wembley Stadium, London |
2013 |
Bayern |
| 13 | Bayern vs Chelsea |
Allianz Arena, Munich |
2012 |
Chelsea |
| 14 | Barcelona vs Manchester United |
Wembley Stadium, London |
2011 |
Barcelona |
Champions League Final Stadiums – Key Records
Record for hosting most finals
Out of the various Champions League finals stadiums we’ve discussed here, there is one that holds the title of the very best, and that Stadium is Wembley. Historically, this stadium has paved the way for the highest attendance figures for Champions League finals, and it has hosted the finals a total of 7 times! Then again, when you consider the size and stature of a stadium like Wembley, it’s hard for other stadiums in Europe to even compete, and we anticipate that Wembley will host many more finals in the future.
The club with the most Champions League titles
Surprise-surprise, the club with the most Champions League victories of all time is Real Madrid. These guys have won the Champions League an incredible 13 times, with the nearest team being Inter Milan, who has just 7 in comparison. Perhaps more impressively, 4 of Madrid’s titles have come in the last decade too, largely thanks to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and others. However, since the last title came in 2018, you could say that Real Madrid is now on a drought of Champions League success by their standards!
Who will host the 2024/25 final?
The 2024/25 UCL finals will be played at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on May 31. While this may change depending on how events unfold in the football calendar, the last time such a football spectacle happened at the venue was in 2012.
Chelsea won the 2012 UCL finals in a historic first victory in the UEFA Champions League, beating Bayern 4-3 in the penalty shootout after going level 1-1 in regular time. Moreover, Chelsea became the first London club to bag the coveted UCL silverware.