National Arena in Bucharets. Photo: Cristi Mitu / Shutterstock.com Romania's capital city, Bucharest, has been selected to host the 2028 UEFA Europa League final, with the match set to take place at the National Arena.
UEFA made the decision in Nyon after evaluating bids from four candidate football federations. France had proposed either Lyon-Décines or Paris as its host city, while Italy bid with Turin and Serbia with Belgrade. Romania submitted Bucharest’s National Arena.
The Romanian capital will host another major European club football final 16 years after the National Arena staged the 2012 UEFA Europa League final.
Bucharest has also hosted several major UEFA events in recent years, including matches during EURO 2020, the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2023 and the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2025.
National Arena in Bucharest. Photo; Cristi Mitu / Shutterstock.comRomanian Football Federation president Răzvan Burleanu welcomed the decision, describing the selection as an important opportunity for Romanian professional football.
“Hosting the Europa League final in Bucharest represents the strongest signal of confidence from the UEFA President and my colleagues on the UEFA Executive Committee for the development strategy that I have proposed for professional football at club level in Romania,” Burleanu said.
He added that the event could provide an opportunity to accelerate the development of professional football in Romania and generate sporting, business and social benefits.
The National Arena previously hosted the 2012 Europa League final between Atlético Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. The Bucharest stadium has since been used for matches at EURO 2020 and other UEFA competitions.
The 2028 Europa League final will form part of a wider schedule of UEFA club competition finals across Europe.
Madrid is scheduled to host the 2027 Champions League final, followed by Munich in 2028 and Barcelona in 2029. Frankfurt will host the 2027 Europa League final, while Belgrade is scheduled for 2029.
In the Conference League, Istanbul is set to host the 2027 final, followed by Turin in 2028 and Budapest in 2029.
The 2028 UEFA Super Cup is scheduled to take place in Astana, with Amsterdam hosting the 2027 edition.
For Bucharest, the 2028 Europa League final will bring another major international football event to the Romanian capital and return the competition to the National Arena 16 years after its first UEFA club final. Plus, it is expected to give the city a major tourism boost.
CEC Bank, Bucharest. Photo: DMZ001 / Shutterstock.comBucharest is a lively city where grand historic buildings, leafy parks, cafés and a growing food and nightlife scene come together.
Old Town. Photo: ShutterstockVisitors can explore the Old Town, see the Palace of Parliament, walk along Calea Victoriei and discover museums, gardens and elegant 19th-century architecture. The city also works well as a base for exploring other parts of Romania, with day trips to places such as Sinaia, Brașov and the Carpathian Mountains.
Parliament Palace. Photo: Shutterstock