Budapest to host 2026 UEFA Champions League Final, San Siro doubtful for 2027

Today, UEFA selected Budapest to host the men’s Champions League final in 2026. The decision marks another major event for the 70,000-seat Puskás Arena, which has become a favoured venue for UEFA, having previously hosted a Europa League final and served as a replacement venue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an avid soccer enthusiast, and FIFA Vice President Sándor Csányi, who represents UEFA, were likely influential in securing the prestigious event for Budapest.

However, the allocation of the 2027 Champions League final remains unresolved as UEFA delayed its decision on awarding the game to Milan. This postponement is due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of the iconic San Siro stadium, formally known as Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

UEFA has deferred the decision to its executive committee meeting in September, pending the Italian soccer federation’s submission of refurbishment plans for the stadium.

This comes amid ownership changes at Inter Milan, with the club recently transitioning from Chinese corporation Suning to U.S. investor Oaktree due to debt repayment issues.

Meanwhile, the UEFA executive committee also announced other host cities for major finals. The 2026 Women’s Champions League final will occur in Oslo, Norway. Istanbul’s downtown Besiktas stadium will host the 2026 Europa League final, with the 2027 edition set for Eintracht Frankfurt’s home.

Notably, the 2025 Europa League final will be held at Athletic Bilbao’s stadium, which also hosts the Women’s Champions League final next week.

For the third-tier Conference League, the 2026 final will be held in Leipzig, Germany, while Istanbul is slated to host the 2027 final, potentially at the Besiktas stadium unless moved to the new stadium in Ankara being built ahead of Turkey and Italy co-hosting the men’s European Championship in 2032.

This decision gives Turkey the unique opportunity to host European finals in consecutive years. Conversely, the Romanian national stadium in Bucharest, which last hosted a Europa League final in 2012, did not succeed in its bid for a title match.

The Israeli soccer federation had proposed Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem for the Conference League, though it did not secure the bid.

Other Issues

UEFA committee extended trials for safe standing areas for fans at European club competition games to additional countries, including Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, and Scotland, following successful trials in England, France, and Germany over the past two seasons.

Italy and Spain are also on the permitted list. The Football Supporters Europe group, which has campaigned for standing areas, welcomed the extension, highlighting that standing contributes positively to game atmospheres and fan culture while generally lowering ticket prices.

The ongoing discussions about the fate of San Siro, which could host its fifth European Cup or Champions League final, come as Milan prepares to stage the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The shared stadium of AC Milan and Inter Milan has faced potential demolition threats, with both clubs seeking new, privately owned venues.

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