The venue for the Conference League Final between Chelsea and Real Betis.
Image credit: The European Football Express
Have you ever wondered how the stadiums are picked for big European football matches like the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League finals?
Here’s a simple explanation!
Who Picks the Stadiums?
The group in charge of European football is called UEFA (you say it like “you-eh-fuh”).
Every year, UEFA picks one stadium for each final. But they don’t just pick one randomly.
They invite all 55 countries in Europe to send in a bid.
This means countries that want to host the final have to explain why their stadium and city would be a great place for the event.
What Do They Look At?
To decide which stadium wins, UEFA looks at many things:
- How easy it is to get to the stadium
- If the stadium has good security and safety
- If there are fun things for fans to do in the area
- If the city has enough hotels and a big enough airport
Sometimes, UEFA also wants stadiums to make changes or upgrades before they’re chosen.
Why Do Cities Want to Host Finals?
Big games bring lots of visitors, which means more money for the local businesses like hotels, restaurants, and shops.
Hosting a final can also make a city more famous and help it grow.
New stadiums especially love to host finals because it shows off their modern design.
Plus, it helps them pay back the money they spent on building.
What Makes a Stadium Good Enough?
UEFA ranks stadiums in four categories. Category 4 is the best—and only those can host a final. These top stadiums must:
Have room for at least 8,000 fans
Have big locker rooms, good lights, lots of cameras, and places for the media
Have good parking and enough gates for fans to enter and leave safely
They also need to be in cities that can handle lots of visitors.
How Big Should the Stadium Be?
It depends on the final:
Champions League finals usually happen in very large stadiums—over 65,000 seats. Only three stadiums smaller than 60,000 have hosted this final since 2000.
Europa League finals must happen in stadiums with 40,000–60,000 seats.
Conference League finals are held in smaller stadiums, often in countries that don’t usually host big games.
Some Stadiums That Are Category 4
UEFA doesn’t share the full list, but we know some:
