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UEFA stadium categories

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium , the home of Real Madrid . UEFA stadium categories are categories for football stadiums laid out in UEFA 's Stadium Infrastructure Regulations. [ ...

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The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the home of Real Madrid.

UEFA stadium categories are categories for footballstadiums laid out in UEFA's Stadium Infrastructure Regulations.[1] Using these regulations, stadiums are rated as category one, two, three, or four (renamed from elite) in ascending ranking order. These categories replaced the previous method of ranking stadiums on one to five star scale in 2006.

UEFA does not publish lists of stadiums fulfilling the criteria for any of the categories defined in the UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations,[2] but all assigned stadium categories are visible in UEFA's TIME platform, which is not open to the general public.

General

If a retractable roof is present, its use will be directed by consultation between the UEFA delegate and the main assigned referee.[1]

Although the minimum stadium capacity for category four is 8,000, only one stadium with a capacity less than 60,000 has been selected to host a UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Euro finals and 30,000 for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Nations League finals, since these regulations were introduced in 2006.[3]

After the 2007 Champions League final, UEFA President Michel Platini stated that he wanted European Cup finals to be held at stadiums with an average capacity of 70,000 to solve security issues.[4] The hosts for the finals between 2008 and 2024 (Luzhniki Stadium, Stadio Olimpico, Santiago Bernabéu, Wembley Stadium, Allianz Arena, Olympiastadion, San Siro, Millennium Stadium, Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Stade de France, Atatürk Stadium) all had capacities of at least 70,000 seats—with the exceptions of 2014 and 2019 finals (Estádio da Luz and Metropolitano Stadium) held with capacities of 65,000 seats. Two finals were played during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021 in stadiums reaching 50,000 seats (Estádio da Luz and Estádio do Dragão) with none or reduced attendances.[5]

Criteria

Category requirements by competition

See also

References

  1. 12"Article 36 of UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations Edition 2018"(PDF). UEFA. 25 February 2018. Archived from the original(PDF) on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  2. ↑"UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations Edition 2018"(PDF). UEFA. 25 February 2018. Archived from the original(PDF) on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  3. ↑"Uefa finals: How are host stadiums chosen for Champions League and Europa League?". BBC Sport. 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
  4. ↑"Update 1-Soccer-Platini wants Champions League final at weekend". Reuters. 30 August 2008. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  5. ↑"Champions League to be completed in final 8 in Lisbon, with final on August 23". France 24. 2020-06-17. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
  6. ↑UEFA allows safe standing facilities in stadiums used in Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland and Spain.
  7. ↑UEFA may exceptionally approve a category 2 stadium for the third qualifying round provided that all public entrances are equipped with an electronic ticket control system designed to prevent the use of counterfeit tickets and deliver real-time flow rates and entrance numbers to a central point with a view to preventing overcrowding in the stadium as a whole or in individual sectors.
  8. 12UEFA may exceptionally approve a category 2 stadium for the third qualifying round and play-offs provided that all public entrances are equipped with an electronic ticket control system designed to prevent the use of counterfeit tickets and deliver real-time flow rates and entrance numbers to a central point with a view to preventing overcrowding in the stadium as a whole or in individual sectors.
  9. ↑The UEFA administration may set higher requirements to ensure proper TV coverage if need be. Throughout the season, clubs have the option to request the use of an alternative stadium, including a stadium used for a UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and/or UEFA Conference League match with UEFA’s prior approval. Such requests must be made to the UEFA administration at least two weeks before the scheduled match.
  10. ↑For matches in the group stage onwards, additional requirements for certain facilities are required as indicated in the UEFA Women's Champions League Club Manual.
  11. ↑Starting from the 2025-26 season, it will be the following: category 1 for the qualifying phase; category 2 for the league phase and knockout phase play-offs; and category 3 from the quarter-finals onwards.
  12. ↑For the qualifying competition: exceptionally category 3 if no category 4 stadium is available.
  13. ↑For the league phase, play-offs and quarter-finals: exceptionally category 3 if no category 4 stadium is available.
  • UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations - Edition 2006
  • UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations - Edition 2010
  • UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations - Edition 2018
  • UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations - Edition 2025