Champions League Final New Location Odds

• UEFA poised to move Champions League final following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
• England, Portugal lead the way as favorites to take over hosting duties, with France lagging as an attractive dark horse
• Read on for all the odds and background as UEFA gets set to make a decision on where the Champions League final will be played on May 28th

In the wake of Russia’s military invasion of neighboring Ukraine, UEFA is expected to find a new venue for the 2022 Champions League final, which was originally scheduled to take place at Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg on May 28.

UEFA enjoys a wealth of options in its search for a new venue for the UCL final. England has emerged as the frontrunner to take over hosting duties, sporting short +200 odds. And after demonstrating their ability to host the big game on short notice in each of the past two years, Portugal has emerged as a strong +300 bet.

Here’s a brief look at the top candidates in the futures odds to be named the host country for the 2022 UEFA Champions League final.

Odds to Host 2022 UEFA Champions League Final

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England and Portugal Possible Champions League Final Locations

The British government wasted no time calling on UEFA to strip Russia of its chance to host the Champions League Final for the first time in 15 years. And with the sport’s governing body in Europe set to heed their advice, England could benefit by taking over hosting duties.

The English have no shortage of facilities and experience necessary to host such a big game. The nation is also home to Manchester City, the current favorites to raise the trophy in the Champions League odds. Most recently, England hosted eight Euro 2020 matches including the semi-finals and tournament final and has hosted the European Cup/Champions League final on eight previous occasions.

On Tuesday, the British government led calls for the UEFA Champions League final to be taken off Russia by European football’s governing body to punish its deepening intervention in Ukraine.#borisjohnson #UEFA #ChampionsLeague #Russia #UK #Britain pic.twitter.com/z4irF2gMPe

— Buaksib (@buaksib) February 23, 2022

Wembley is an unlikely venue to host the UCL final this time around, largely due to scheduling conflicts. The stadium is already booked to host EFL playoff matches on the weekend of the Champions League Final. It is also scheduled to host a clash between reigning European champions Italy and CONMEBOL champions Argentina just days later, on June 1. Both London Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have also been mentioned as potential venues. But with London scheduled to serve as the host city for the 2024 Champions League Final, UEFA may look elsewhere this time around.

For the third year running UEFA will move the location of the Champions League final. It will not be held this year in the Gazprom Arena, St Petersburg, Russia.

UEFA has yet to decide on an alternative venue. The last two finals have been moved to stadiums in Portugal.

— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) February 24, 2022

Portugal has stepped up in each of the past two seasons, taking over as UCL Final hosts after UEFA was forced to move the match due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, Lisbon served as the host city for the UCL quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final a year ago. But with the circumstances this time around not stemming from public health concerns, expect UEFA to target a major European city with the capability to support tens of thousands of visitors ahead of the big game.

Parc des Princes Could Host UCL Final on May 28

Further down the odds board, France and Germany trail the favorites, pegged at +400 and +500, respectively. When it comes to France, PSG’s Parc des Princes could be in contention when you consider COVID-19 restrictions are being eased.

Italy and Spain closely follow, each sporting +650 odds. Like England, Germany is scheduled to soon host the Champions League Final, which likely does not help their bid to provide an alternative to Saint Petersburg.

Today the authorities met to discuss changes to Germany's COVID restrictions. Unfortunately, it was agreed between the federal government and the states that there would be no changes anytime soon.

Which is currently about 750 fans in the stadium…

— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) January 24, 2022

Both Italy and Spain check all the boxes and provide multiple stadium options for hosting the final. However, like Germany, COVID restrictions remain in place limiting the capacity at major stadium events. And while those restrictions look set to be eased in the weeks and months ahead, UEFA is likely looking for more certainty that fans can fill whichever alternate site is ultimately selected.

*BREAKING* France has ditched its Covid-19 testing requirements for vaccinated travellers arriving from the UK.

The French interior ministry has said British arrivals no longer have to test, provided they are vaccinated according to European regulations. pic.twitter.com/9ukR953zQE

— Capital Moments (@CapitalMoments) February 12, 2022

Champions League Final Host Country Prediction

That makes France an appealing option to host the Champions League Final for the first time since 2006. In addition to allowing stadiums to fill to capacity, all restrictions on consuming food and drink at big events have already been lifted in France.

Requirements for visitors to France from the UK to submit to COVID-19 testing upon arrival in the country have also been eased. That is a particularly important factor, considering three of the top four positions in the UEFA Champions League odds are occupied by Premier League squads. Paris Saint-Germain fills out the top of the board.

The Pick: France (+400)