UEFA: New arenas for European cup finals revealed. Are there any surprises?

source: StadiumDB.com; author: Jakub Ducki

UEFA: New arenas for European cup finals revealed. Are there any surprises? On May 22, the day of the Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen (3:0), UEFA unveiled the stadiums that will host the men's and women's Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League finals in 2026 and 2027. We already know almost everything.

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2025/26 season

The second season of the reformed European competition also brings new destinations for football fans. The role of host of the Champions League final will be played for the first time ever by Puskás Aréna in Budapest. You can read more about this impressive venue on the Hungarian football map in a separate article.

The Europa League will come to Turkey this season. Beşiktaş Park, also known as Tüpraş Stadyumu, returns after a five-year break. In 2019, the stadium hosted the European Super Cup, in which Liverpool beat London Chelsea after a penalty shootout. The venue is friendly to both football fans and travel lovers, as the stadium is beautifully located on the Bosphorus Strait. The surrounding area also offers delicious Turkish cuisine, which is an added attraction.

The Europa Conference League final has been awarded to RB Arena. A complete rookie in European finals, the stadium has only hosted major international matches and five World Cup group stage matches in 2006. In 2015, the German national team played their Euro 2016 qualifying match against Georgia (2:1) here.

Tüpraş Stadyumu© Beşiktaş JK | Tüpraş Stadyumu

Season 2026/27

The situation for the 2026/27 season is more complicated. Iconic San Siro stadium is expected to host the Champions League final, but this is not 100% certain at this point. A decision will be made in September 2024, when plans for the redevelopment of the stadium will be presented. The decision will determine whether the Champions League final will be held in Milan after a break of 11 years.

The Europa League final will be played at Waldstadion, the arena of Eintracht Frankfurt. The stadium opened in 1925 and has undergone numerous renovations and upgrades. The latest redevelopment, completed in 2023, increased the capacity to 58,000 spectators. In the past, the venue has hosted World Cup matches in 1974 and 2006.

Istanbul's Turkish fans will certainly not be disappointed, as a year after hosting the Europa League final, Tüpraş Stadyumu will host the teams in the Conference League final. The arena will not only attract thousands of fans, but also once again footballers like Ricardo Quaresma and Didier Drogba - such players performed in the local league until recently.

Deutsche Bank Park (Waldstadion)© schlaich bergermann und partner | Deutsche Bank Park (Waldstadion)

Women's Champions League

In the 2025/26 season, the women's Champions League final will be held in Norway. Ullevaal Stadion, located in Oslo, is the largest football stadium in the country. It was opened in 1926 and has undergone numerous upgrades to meet modern standards. It currently has a capacity of around 28,000 seats. The stadium is mainly used as a venue for Norwegian national team home games and national cup finals.

The 2026/27 season does not yet have a host determined. A new bidding process will be opened in the future, as Germany will host the finals in 2026 and 2027, which ruled out a bid for MHPArena in Stuttgart.

MHPArena© Mercedes-Benz Arena | MHPArena

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