Why Wembley could host 4th Champions League final in 17 years as Uefa reopens bidding for 2027 after San Siro stripped
THE 2027 Champions League Final could be awarded to Wembley after Milan’s San Siro Stadium was stripped of hosting rights.
Uefa had indicated the San Siro would stage the biggest game in European club football for the fifth time and first since 2016.
But Uefa chiefs put confirmation of the venue on hold when they met in Dublin in May because of the uncertainty over the ground’s future.
And now Euro bosses agreed at a meeting in Prague that Italian authorities could not give them sufficient guarantees.
In a statement following the meeting of Uefa’s ruling executive committee, the organisation said a new host would now be sought – opening the way for Wembley or another English ground to go into the mix.
Uefa said: “As the Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the San Siro stadium and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishment works in the period of the 2027 UEFA Champions League final, it was decided not to assign the final to Milan and to re-open the bidding process to appoint a suitable venue, with a decision expected in May/June 2025.”
The decision is a major embarrassment for Milan and the San Siro but comes with current co-tenants Inter and AC Milan both considering alternative new home grounds.
This season’s final will be played at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena while the 2026 game has been confirmed for Budapest.
Wembley played host for Real Madrid’s win over Borussia Dortmund only in June but Uefa know playing their biggest match at a venue with outstanding corporate facilities would make it an even bigger money-spinner for their finances.
Uefa bosses also confirmed that the “Big Five” leagues, including the Prem, will only receive £8.3m in “solidarity” cash for the clubs not competing in European competitions this season, worth around £640,000 to each of the 13 top flight outfits.
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Champions League final venues
2005: Istanbul – Atatürk Olympic Stadium – Liverpool 3 AC Milan 3 (3-2 on pens)
2006: Paris – Stade de France – Barcelona 2 Arsenal 1
2007: Athens – Olympic Stadium – AC Milan 2 Liverpool 1
2008: Moscow – Luzhniki Stadium – Man Utd 1 Chelsea 1 (6-5 on pens)
2009: Rome – Stadio Olimpico – Barcelona 2 Man Utd 0
2010: Madrid – Santiago Bernabéu – Inter Milan 2 Bayern Munich 0
2011: London – Wembley – Barcelona 3 Man Utd 1
2012: Munich – Allianz Arena – Chelsea 1 Bayern Munich 1 (4-3 on pens)
2013: London – Wembley – Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Dortmund 1
2014: Lisbon – Estádio da Luz – Real Madrid 4 Atletico Madrid 1 (AET)
2015: Berlin – Olympiastadion – Barcelona 3 Juventus 1
2016: Milan – San Siro – Real Madrid 1 Atletico Madrid 1 (5-3 on pens)
2017: Cardiff – Millenium Stadium – Real Madrid 4 Juventus 1
2018: Kyiv – NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium – Real Madrid 3 Liverpool 1
2019: Madrid – Metropolitano Stadium – Liverpool 2 Tottenham 0
2020: Lisbon – Estádio da Luz – Bayern Munich 1 PSG 0
2021: Porto – Estádio do Dragão – Chelsea 1 Man City 0
2022: Paris – Stade de France – Real Madrid 1 Liverpool 0
2023: Istanbul – Atatürk Olympic Stadium – Man City 1 Inter Milan 0
2024: London – Wembley – Real Madrid 2 Borussia Dortmund 0
The remaining 50 smaller leagues will share £215m with Uefa believing the new split – no clubs in any of the three European competitions will benefit from the larger fund – will “support the competitive balance across Europe”.
Wembley has hosted the Champions League final three times since being rebuilt, with Barcelona winning 3-1 against Man Utd there in 2011 and Bayern beating Dortmund 2-1 in 2013 before last season’s showpiece.