Where is the 2017 Champions League final?

CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 02: General view of the Principality Stadium during the European Rugby Challenge Cup match between Ospreys and Stade Francais Paris at the Principality Stadium on April 2, 2017 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)
CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 02: General view of the Principality Stadium during the European Rugby Challenge Cup match between Ospreys and Stade Francais Paris at the Principality Stadium on April 2, 2017 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

All the info you need to know about this year’s Champions League final.

The top two teams in Europe will face off this year at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. With the 2017 Champions League final set for Saturday, June 3, fans will flock to the Welsh capital to see either Juventus or Monaco close out the football season against Real Madrid or their crosstown rivals Atletico.

The 74,500-seat venue (of which 66,000 will be available for the final), known also as the Principality Stadium due to a 2016 sponsorship deal, is the home of the Welsh national rugby team, and has also hosted games of the country’s national soccer team. The Millennium is the fourth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, and the second-largest in the world with a fully retractable roof.

The Millennium Stadium also played host to England’s FA Cup final from 2001–2006 while the new Wembley Stadium was under construction in London.

This will be the first time the Champions League final has taken place in Wales, and the 12th time in the UK (including seven times at Wembley). Fittingly, it seems likely that one of the finalists, Real Madrid, will feature the best Welsh player in the world in Gareth Bale. The Wales international has been kept out of the lineup for a few weeks with injury, but would surely still love to see his team play for Europe’s crown in his hometown.

For UEFA’s purposes, the Millennium Stadium is being referred to as the National Stadium of Wales in official documentation. The two finalist clubs will be allocated 18,000 tickets for their fans, with another 24,500 offered to sponsors, officials, and corporate partners.

Next: Top 25 players in Champions League history

At last year’s Champions League final at San Siro in Milan, Italy, Real Madrid defeated Atletico on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Next year’s final is set to be played at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine.