UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has hinted that the Champions League final could one day be played in the United States, due to football's growing popularity stateside.
Ceferin was questioned whether there was a possibility of Europe's flagship event one day being hosted in the USA, and admitted this could well be a possibility. This year's Champions League final takes place in Istanbul, before returning to Wembley for the third time in 13 years in 2024.
One year after its stop in London, the most prized game in European football will head to Germany, with the 2025 final taking place at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
UEFA are yet to confirm host cities post-2025, and when discussing the future of the final hinted that it could one day head outside of Europe for the very first time - more specifically the US. Speaking to Men In Blazers, Ceferin said: "It is possible.
“We started to discuss about that, but then one year it is World Cup, 2024 is Euro. This year [the final] is Istanbul, ’24 in London, ’25 in Munich. And after that let’s see. It’s possible, it’s possible.” The major factor driving UEFA's potential plan is the growing support of football in the US.
"Football is extremely popular in United States these days. Americans are willing to pay this amount [gestures] for the best and nothing for the less. So they will follow European football as basketball lovers in Europe follow NBA.
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“It’s a very important promising market for the future. The thing is that we are selling rights very well. Sponsorship is so-so for now from the US, but here commercialisation is completely different than in Europe. They are much more talented for that than us."
Referencing the soaring viewing figures of European football in America, he added: "What shocked me actually is that our Euro [2020] finals, Europe national team finals, was watched by more people in United States than NBA Finals.
“What shocked me is that 30 matches of the Euros, every match viewership was a Super Bowl viewership. So I think we are doing well.”
