RFEF president confirms Santiago Bernabeu as preferred venue for 2027 Nations League final

The Santiago Bernabeu stands as one of the big monuments of world football. After its renovation, it is now a state-of-the-art venue with facilities that few other stadiums can match.

So far, however, the Bernabeu has yet to host a major football spectacle since its renovation, primarily because the construction has still officially not concluded.

Now, however, the iconic venue could be close to earning the rights to host its first mega footballing night as the RFEF have something special planned for the city of Madrid.

Indeed, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano in a recent update, the Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzan has confirmed that documents are being submitted to UEFA to host the final four and the final of the 2027 UEFA Nations League in Spain.

The two venues selected as top candidates are Jose Zorilla and the Santiago Bernabeu, and the Bernabeu is the chosen venue to host the final.

Needless to say, this comes as massive news for Real Madrid who will look to turn the night into a festival if confirmed.

Having a game of the stature of the Nations League final at the Bernabeu would only be fitting, and there is a good chance the World Champions Spain may also be participating in the title clash.

With Spain being one of the primary hosts of the next FIFA World Cup, there has been a massive debate in recent times as to which venue should host the final of the 2030 edition.

The Santiago Bernabeu, needless to say, stands out as one of the top contenders , but Barcelona’s new and renovated Spotify Camp Nou also has a strong claim given its boosted capacity. However, the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca is also in the running.

Hosting the 2027 Nations League final, needless to say, provides the Bernabeu officials and Real Madrid offices with an opportunity to show the world why they deserve the chance to host the next World Cup final.

In many ways, it could also be RFEF’s means of testing the venue for the grand finale of the 2030 edition of the World Cup.

Real Madrid and Barcelona’s starts to the new season could not be more starkly apart, for the form the Catalans and the Merengues have been in has been at polar opposite ends of the spectrum.

Barcelona, meanwhile, have been flying under Hansi Flick and appear virtually unstoppable at the moment.

Raphinha has been carrying the Catalans’ attack playing as a number nine and has enjoyed a stunning start to the season. Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal has also started off brilliantly and continues to be a difference maker for them.

Real Madrid legend Marcelo was asked a start, drop, bench question in a recent interaction on Barcelona’s social media account.

The three players he was asked to choose between were his former teammate and Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona’s young sensation Lamine Yamal and the team’s captain Raphinha.

In what comes as a shocker, the former Real Madrid player dropped the club legend and his former teammate Ronaldo without a second thought, keeping the Barcelona duo for the two remaining spots.

Of them, he chose to bench Lamine Yamal and start Raphinha in his ideal world. While the selection is sensible from a current form standpoint, it does still come as a surprising decision .

Having left Real Madrid in 2022, the player joined Olympiacos before signing for Fluminense in February 2023. He then remained a free agent as of late 2024 and officially decided to hang up his boots in early 2025.

While the context of his picks has not been provided, it is likely that the former defender was asked to pick players purely based on their current run of form and level of performance.

Given his age, Ronaldo has after all not been able to operate remotely close to the level he showcased in his prime, and comparing him with Barcelona’s current generation of superstars comes across as disrespectful.