UEFA has announced a major difference to the Champions League final from this season onwards, confirming a three-hour change to the kickoff time intended to improve the entire matchday.
Historically a midweek game, UEFA ditched the old Wednesday night format for the final in 2010, staging it on a Saturday for the first time as José Mourinho’s Inter completed the European treble with a triumph over Bayern Munich.
But, even then, it remained an evening kickoff, with 8:45 p.m. CET (7:45 p.m. BST, 2:30 p.m. ET, 11:30 a.m. PT) the long-established start time. UEFA actually pushed that back by a further 15 minutes to 9 p.m. CET in 2019. That has meant finals typically not finishing until around 11 p.m. (CET).
For 2026, with the showpiece fixture to be held in Hungary for the first time—at Budapest’s 67,215-capacity Puskás Aréna—kickoff time is moving to 6 p.m. CET (5 p.m. BST, 12 p.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT).
UEFA says the early evening slot is expected to “enhance the overall matchday experience for fans, teams and host cities by optimising logistics and operations.”
The earlier time means that fans should have improved access to public transport, particularly after the game has finished, while host cities will hope to see a boost to the local economy as they will better benefit from celebrating supporters.
From a broadcasting perspective, UEFA also hopes to make the Champions League more accessible to a wider audience. The old 9 p.m. CET kickoff time would equate to even later starts in Europe’s more eastern extremities—such as countries like Ukraine, Romania, Greece and Turkey.
Holders Paris Saint-Germain are considered the team to beat again this season, but Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester City will be among the main contenders.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as UEFA Announces Major Change to Champions League Final Starting in 2026.