UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has suggested that the UEFA Champions League final could be held in the United States in the future.
Čeferin said that holding the event in the U.S. would be a huge opportunity to cash in on the game’s growing popularity stateside.
In an appearance on the Men in Blazers podcast, Čeferin said: “It is possible [that the Champions League final could be in the U.S.]. We started to discuss about that, but then one year it is the World Cup, 2024 is Euro, this year is Istanbul, ’24 in London, ’25 in Munich. And after that let’s see. It’s possible, it’s possible. Football is extremely popular in United States these days. Americans are willing to pay this amount (gestures high with hand) for the best and nothing for the less. So they will follow European football as basketball lovers in Europe follow NBA.”
The president pointed to American TV ratings for UEFA events as part of a possible justification for bringing the Champions League final to the U.S.
“What shocked me actually is that our Euro (2020) finals, Europe national team finals, was watched by more people in United States than NBA Finals,” Čeferin said. “What shocked me is that 30 matches of the Euros, every match viewership was a Super Bowl viewership. So I think we are doing well.
“The problem is the time difference, because if you play [Champions League games on] Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 12 noon in LA, it’s a problem.”
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