Istanbul Set to Host Fifth UEFA European Final
Istanbul will once again take center stage in European football as Freiburg and Aston Villa meet at Besiktas Park on Wednesday for the UEFA Europa League final, marking the city’s fifth UEFA final.
The Turkish metropolis first hosted a European final in 2005, when Liverpool faced AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium. That match remains one of football’s most memorable comebacks. Milan held a 3-0 lead at halftime, only for Liverpool to level the score at 3-3 early in the second half before sealing a dramatic penalty shootout victory.
Four years later, Istanbul welcomed the 2009 UEFA Cup final at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Germany’s Werder Bremen 2-1 after extra time. Luiz Adriano gave Shakhtar the lead before Naldo equalized for Bremen. With the match tied after regular time, Jadson’s 97th-minute strike secured Shakhtar’s first European trophy and the first UEFA Cup title for a Ukrainian club under coach Mircea Lucescu.
Besiktas Park entered UEFA finals history in 2019 by hosting the UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea. After a thrilling 2-2 draw following extra time, Liverpool triumphed 5-4 on penalties, claiming another European title in Istanbul.
The city’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium returned to the spotlight in 2023 for the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan. Rodri’s decisive second-half goal delivered Manchester City their first Champions League crown. The final also featured Turkish international Hakan Calhanoglu for Inter and Ilkay Gundogan, of Turkish heritage, representing City.
Looking ahead, Türkiye is set to host another major UEFA event with the 2027 Europa Conference League final. While Besiktas Park was initially selected as the venue, UEFA has since indicated the match could instead be played at Ankara’s Yeni Ankara Stadium if construction is completed on time and the stadium meets approval requirements.
With another European final set for Wednesday, Istanbul continues to strengthen its reputation as one of football’s most iconic host cities.
