The 2027 Champions League final host stadium has been whittled down to just two, though there is one "overwhelming favourite" according to a report.
Benfica's Estadio da Luz, Stadio Olimpico in Rome and San Siro in Milan were all slated to compete for the hosting of the Champions League final in 2027, but all three have now seemingly withdrawn from the running.
Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena is set to host UEFA's showpiece club event this season, 13 years after last hosting the final in 2012. Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in their home stadium that day on penalties, with Roberto Di Mateo's side winning their first trophy in the competition's history.
2027 Champions League final host stadium has been leaked
For 2025/26, the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, will feature the Champions League final, the first time the European nation will have done so.
But while Baku's Olympic Stadium is attempting to convince UEFA to let it play host to the 2027 Champions League final, in what would also be a first for the nation, it seems like it will return to familiar surroundings in a couple of years time.
According to Spanish outlet El Partidazo de COPE, the Riyal Air Metropolitano in Madrid, where Atletico Madrid play their home matches, is the "overwhelming favourite" to host the 2027 final.
UEFA will decide on the next host stadium in May, prior to the final in Munich is played. The 2019 final between Liverpool and Tottenham was played at the Metropolitano, with the Reds winning 2-0 on that occasion thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi.
It had only been opened for two seasons prior to that game, but the 2027 final could return less than a decade later for another high-profile match.
The 70,000-capacity is also under consideration to host games at the 2030 World Cup, but the club is reportedly not keen on that idea because it could mean a significant loss of money from out-of-season revenues.
In FourFourTwo's view, it's a slight shame that the Champions League final keeps returning to a select few stadiums in Europe, though it's understandable that a large majority of grounds don't have the requisite capacity or infrastructure to deal with two sets of fanbases for the game.
UEFA should still choose the Metropolitano over the Baku Olympic Stadium, though, considering the issues fans faced in getting there for the 2019 Europa League final and how Henrikh Mkhitaryan couldn't even travel for the game due to concerns over his safety.
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