Association football match
Football match
The 2024 UEFA Champions League final was the final match of the 2024–21 UEFA Champions League, the⭕️ 66th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 29th season since it was renamed from⭕️ the European Cup to the UEFA Champions League. It was played at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal on⭕️ 29 May 2024,[5] between English clubs Manchester City, in their first European Cup final, and 2012 winners Chelsea. This was⭕️ the third all-English final in the competition, after the 2008 and 2024 finals.
The final was originally scheduled to be played⭕️ at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia. However, due to the postponement and relocation of the 2024 final to⭕️ Lisbon as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the final hosts were shifted back a year, with the⭕️ Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey instead planning to host the 2024 final.[6] This was the second consecutive final in⭕️ Portugal. Two weeks before the final, UEFA announced that it would be relocated to Porto to allow a limited number⭕️ of fans to attend the match.[5] A capacity limit of 33% was agreed for the 50,000-seater Estádio do Dragão, resulting⭕️ in an attendance of 14,110.[7]
Chelsea won the final 1–0 for their second UEFA Champions League title, with Kai Havertz scoring⭕️ the only goal of the game late in the first half.[8] As winners, they earned the right to play against⭕️ the winners of the 2024–21 UEFA Europa League, Villarreal, in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup, and also qualified for the⭕️ 2024 FIFA Club World Cup, winning in both competitions. Chelsea also qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup through⭕️ UEFA's champions pathway (the winners of the Champions League between 2024 and 2024). Manchester City also qualified after winning the⭕️ 2024 UEFA Champions League.[9]
Teams [ edit ]
In the following table, finals until 1992 were in the European Cup era, since⭕️ 1993 were in the UEFA Champions League era.
Venue [ edit ]
The match was the fourth European Cup/Champions League final to⭕️ take place in Portugal, and the first to take place outside Lisbon, which previously hosted finals in 1967 at the⭕️ Estádio Nacional and in 2014 and 2024 at the Estádio da Luz. This was the first time the European Cup/Champions⭕️ League final took place in the same country in successive seasons.[10] The Estádio do Dragão previously hosted matches at UEFA⭕️ Euro 2004 and the 2024 UEFA Nations League Finals. Additionally, this final was the first since 2004 to be held⭕️ in a stadium with capacity lower than 60,000.[citation needed]
Initial host selection [ edit ]
For the details on the selection of⭕️ Saint Petersburg as the original host for the final, see 2024 UEFA Champions League final § Host selection
An open bidding⭕️ process was launched on 22 September 2024 by UEFA to select the venues of the finals of the UEFA Champions⭕️ League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Women's Champions League in 2024. Associations had until 31 October 2024 to express interest,⭕️ and bid dossiers must be submitted by 1 March 2024. Associations hosting matches at UEFA Euro 2024 were not allowed⭕️ to bid for the 2024 UEFA Champions League final.[citation needed]
UEFA announced on 3 November 2024 that two associations had expressed⭕️ interest in hosting the 2024 UEFA Champions League final.[11]
The Atatürk Olympic Stadium was selected by the UEFA Executive Committee during⭕️ their meeting in Kyiv on 24 May 2024.[12][13][14]
On 17 June 2024, the UEFA Executive Committee announced that due to the⭕️ postponement and relocation of the 2024 final to the Estádio da Luz, Istanbul would instead host the 2024 final.[6]
Relocation to⭕️ Porto [ edit ]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, Premier League side Aston Villa offered to have Villa Park⭕️ in Birmingham as the venue for the Champions League final instead of Istanbul to hold 8,000 English fans, which could⭕️ be affected by travel limitations.[15] Villa Park has previously hosted the 1999 Cup Winners' Cup Final, the last final of⭕️ that UEFA competition. It also hosted the 2012 FA Community Shield, also contested between Manchester City and Chelsea, due to⭕️ Wembley Stadium – England's national stadium – hosting the Olympic football tournament finals in the previous days, being picked in⭕️ part because of its equidistance between Manchester and London. On 7 May 2024, Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps⭕️ advised against any fans traveling to Turkey for the game.[16]
In negotiations with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport,⭕️ UEFA would only consider Wembley as a potential venue within the United Kingdom, and required guarantees that their officials, sponsors⭕️ and journalists would be exempt from the UK COVID-19 travel restrictions.[17] The British Government was unable to agree to this,[18]⭕️ and on 13 May 2024, UEFA announced the final was relocated to the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal,[5] a⭕️ country that was on the British "green list" for unrestricted travel during the pandemic.[18]
Background [ edit ]
Manchester City were playing⭕️ in their first European Cup/UEFA Champions League final. They had previously played in one European final, the 1970 European Cup⭕️ Winners' Cup Final, and won. They became the ninth distinct English side to play in a European Cup/UEFA Champions League⭕️ final. This was the third UEFA Champions League final for manager Pep Guardiola, and his first since the two wins⭕️ with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, both against Manchester United.[19] City were seeking to become the first club to win⭕️ its first European Cup/UEFA Champions League final since Chelsea in 2012, with seven clubs having failed to do in between.[20]
Chelsea⭕️ were playing in their third European Cup/UEFA Champions League final, and the first since their win in 2012 away against⭕️ Bayern Munich. In addition, they had previously played in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Europa League finals twice⭕️ each – winning all. In addition, Chelsea became the first club ever to see its men's and women's teams reach⭕️ the Champions League final in the same season, having qualified for the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League final as well.⭕️ Head coach Thomas Tuchel became the first manager to reach the European Cup/UEFA Champions League final in successive seasons with⭕️ different clubs, having lost the 2024 final to Bayern Munich while coaching Paris Saint-Germain.[21]
This was the third all-English final in⭕️ the history of the competition, after 2008 in Moscow between Chelsea and Manchester United and 2024 in Madrid between Liverpool⭕️ and Tottenham Hotspur. This was also the third consecutive Champions League final to feature a first-time finalist, after Tottenham in⭕️ 2024 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.
This was the third meeting between the teams in Europe, having previously met in the⭕️ semi-finals of the 1970–71 European Cup Winners' Cup, where Chelsea won both legs 1–0 en route to their first European⭕️ trophy. It was also the second major cup final between them, after the 2024 EFL Cup Final, which City won⭕️ on penalties following a goalless draw after extra time. The teams met twice during the season's Premier League, with each⭕️ side winning away: City won the first match 3–1 at Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea won the second 2–1 at Etihad⭕️ Stadium three weeks before the final. Three weeks before the second league encounter, Chelsea also beat City 1–0 in the⭕️ FA Cup semi-finals, denying City the chance of winning an unprecedented quadruple.[22]
Road to the final [ edit ]
Note: In all⭕️ results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
Notes
Officials [ edit ]
Spaniard Antonio Mateu Lahoz⭕️ (centre) officiated the final along with assistants Roberto Díaz Pérez del Palomar (left) and Pau Cebrián Devís (right).
On 12 May⭕️ 2024, UEFA named Spaniard Antonio Mateu Lahoz as the referee for the final. Mateu Lahoz had been a FIFA referee⭕️ since 2011, and was previously the fourth official in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final. He officiated six prior matches⭕️ in the 2024–21 Champions League season, with one match in the play-off round, four in the group stage and one⭕️ quarter-final leg. He served as a referee at the 2024 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and was selected as an⭕️ official for UEFA Euro 2024. He was joined by six of his fellow countrymen, including assistant referees Pau Cebrián Devís⭕️ and Roberto Díaz Pérez del Palomar. Carlos del Cerro Grande served as the fourth official, while Alejandro Hernández Hernández acted⭕️ as the video assistant referee. Juan Martínez Munuera and Íñigo Prieto López de Cerain were appointed as assistant VAR officials,⭕️ along with Polish referee Paweł Gil.[2]
Opening ceremony [ edit ]
American DJ and electronic music producer Marshmello performed a virtual show⭕️ for the opening ceremony before the match, along with Selena Gomez and Khalid.[26]
Match [ edit ]
Summary [ edit ]
The match⭕️ kicked off around 8 p.m. in front of a crowd of 14,110. In the fourth minute, Kai Havertz played the⭕️ ball across the Manchester City penalty area but it was gathered by Ederson. Five minutes later, a long kick from⭕️ Ederson found Sterling, who controlled the ball and was about to shoot when he was dispossessed by Reece James.[28]: 11⭕️ Havertz then passed to Werner, who missed the ball from close range when attempting to shoot. In the 15th minute,⭕️ Mason Mount passed to Werner, who shot straight at Ederson, before then seeing a subsequent strike tipped away for a⭕️ corner. Ben Chilwell played in a cross to the far post but N'Golo Kante's header went over the Manchester City⭕️ bar.[28]: 10 In the 28th minute, Phil Foden was played in on goal and was about to shoot when Antonio⭕️ Rüdiger tackled him. Two minutes later, Kyle Walker sent the ball across the Chelsea penalty area but it fizzed just⭕️ out of Mahrez's reach. With ten minutes of the half remaining, İlkay Gündoğan became the first player to be booked⭕️ after a foul on Mount.[28]: 9
In the 38th minute, Kante played the ball to Havertz, who was denied a shooting⭕️ opportunity by a tackle from Oleksandr Zinchenko. A minute later, Chelsea were forced to make the first substitution of the⭕️ match with the injured Thiago Silva being replaced by Andreas Christensen. Three minutes before half-time, Chelsea took the lead. Mount⭕️ passed to Havertz, who went one-on-one with Ederson, and although the goalkeeper rushed out and deflected the ball away, Havertz⭕️ passed it into an empty net to make it 1–0. There were three minutes of stoppage time.[28]: 8
Neither side made⭕️ any lineup changes during the interval. Manchester City dominated the early stages of the second half.[28]: 7 Twelve minutes into⭕️ the half, Rüdiger was booked for a foul on City's Kevin De Bruyne, who was injured in the challenge, leaving⭕️ the pitch due to the new concussion protocol, in tears, to be replaced by Gabriel Jesus. Two minutes later, Manchester⭕️ City appealed for a penalty when the ball struck James on the arm in his own penalty area, but the⭕️ VAR review decided against a foul, noting that the ball deflecting off James' chest first. In the 64th minute, Bernardo⭕️ Silva was replaced by Fernandinho for Manchester City before Christian Pulisic came on for Werner for Chelsea.[28]: 6
With 21 minutes⭕️ remaining, City pressed for an equalizer. Mahrez's cross to Gündoğan was cleared by César Azpilicueta. Four minutes later, Pulisic flicked⭕️ the ball to Havertz, who passed it back to Pulisic, but his attempted shot rolled just past the City goalpost.⭕️ In the 75th minute, Sterling passed to Jesus, but the ball was cleared by Chilwell. Manchester City made their third⭕️ substitution when Sergio Agüero, the club's highest goalscorer of all time playing his last ever game, came on for Sterling.[28]:⭕️ 5 Mateo Kovačić was brought on for Chelsea to replace Mount in the 80th minute, and five minutes later, Agüero⭕️ attempted to find Foden with a lofted cross to the far post, but the ball was easily caught by Édouard⭕️ Mendy in the Chelsea goal. A minute later, Walker played a cross-field out-swinging pass that narrowly missed both Agüero and⭕️ Foden.
Two minutes from the end of the match, Jesus was booked for a foul on Havertz before Christensen made a⭕️ block to maintain his side's lead. At the end of regular time, the fourth official displayed that a minimum of⭕️ seven minutes of stoppage would be played.[28]: 4 In the final minute, Mahrez's half-volley from the edge of the Chelsea⭕️ penalty area went just over the crossbar, and the match was brought to an end with Chelsea winning 1–0.[28]: 3
Details⭕️ [ edit ]
A "home" team was determined, for "administrative purposes,"[note 1] through a special draw held on 19 March 2024,[29]⭕️ after the quarter-final and semi-final draws.
Manchester City [4] Chelsea[4]
Statistics [ edit ]
First half[32] Statistic Manchester City Chelsea Goals scored 0⭕️ 1 Total shots 3 5 Shots on target 1 2 Saves 1 1 Ball possession 53% 47% Corner kicks 1⭕️ 1 Fouls committed 7 6 Offsides 1 2 Yellow cards 1 0 Red cards 0 0 Second half[32] Statistic Manchester⭕️ City Chelsea Goals scored 0 0 Total shots 4 3 Shots on target 0 0 Saves 0 0 Ball possession⭕️ 64% 36% Corner kicks 2 0 Fouls committed 7 7 Offsides 0 1 Yellow cards 1 1 Red cards 0⭕️ 0 Overall[32] Statistic Manchester City Chelsea Goals scored 0 1 Total shots 7 8 Shots on target 1 2 Saves⭕️ 1 1 Ball possession 58% 42% Corner kicks 3 1 Fouls committed 14 13 Offsides 1 3 Yellow cards 2⭕️ 1 Red cards 0 0
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
^ Each of the two finalists is able to⭕️ wear their first-choice colours. If, however, there is a clash of colours that necessitates a kit change from one club,⭕️ then the club designated as "the away side" must use an alternative kit. In the actual 2024 final, both teams⭕️ wore their first-choice colours. ^ Each team was given only three opportunities to make substitutions, with a fourth opportunity in⭕️ extra time, excluding substitutions made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.
