St. Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena will host the final of the 2021 UEFA Champions League, the European football governing body’s executive committee announced Tuesday evening.
It will be Russia’s second time hosting a Champions League final. In 2008, Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium saw Manchester United beat Chelsea in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. The competition’s final is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world, with over 380 million views in 2018.
Gazprom Arena, the home stadium for Russian champions FC Zenit St. Petersburg, was first opened in 2017.
Called St. Petersburg Stadium at the time, it hosted seven games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, including the semi-final and third place match, and is set to host several matches next summer for EURO 2020. It has an estimated capacity of up to 64,000 people.
UEFA also chose Munich for the 2022 Champions League Final and London for 2023.