FC Barcelona, in collaboration with the City Council and the Catalan Government, has formally submitted its bid to UEFA to host the Champions League final in 2029. The proposed venue is the renovated Camp Nou, which will be fully operational by then. The European body's final decision will be announced at the end of this year, and the Catalan bid competes with other European venues.
The new Camp Nou and its technological infrastructure ⚽
The bid is backed by the comprehensive renovation of the stadium, which includes a roof with solar panels and a state-of-the-art LED lighting system. The facility will feature its own 5G network and an access management system using facial recognition, designed to streamline the entry of 105,000 spectators. UEFA will assess the venue's capacity and connectivity for high-demand events such as a European final.
The dream final: don't forget the sandwiches 🥪
While executives rub their hands over the economic windfall, fans are already dreading ticket prices. If the final is held at Camp Nou, some Culés hope the new digital sales system won't crash like in the last Copa final, or that the queue for a sandwich won't last longer than the match. At least, with the new pitch, the spectacle on the field promises to be better than that at the ticket offices.