Cardiff and Bilbao to host Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals
Cardiff will host the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals in 2025, with Bilbao chosen as the venue for the 2026 finals weekend, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) announced on Wednesday.
The very first Champions Cup final was played in Cardiff in 1996, and this will be the eighth occasion for the Welsh capital to host the event, which will be held at the Principality Stadium.
"In returning to Cardiff 30 years on from the iconic first Final means a great to deal to us and our friends here in the city, and we will celebrate the milestone appropriately," EPCR chairman Dominic McKay said.
Bilbao's San Mames Stadium has hosted the finals weekend on one previous occasion, in 2018, the only time the event has been held outside of European rugby's traditional top five nations.
"For 2026, we cannot wait to return to Bilbao, which hosted a superb celebration of rugby in a world-class destination in 2018," McKay said.