UEFA will officially open its new representative office in Istanbul on April 24, marking its third international hub after London and Brussels.
According to a statement from the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), the decision to open the UEFA office in Istanbul followed negotiations initiated by the TFF. The office will be located at the historic Levent Pavilion, owned by the TFF, and will serve as UEFA’s third overseas centre following London and Brussels.
Istanbul – a city that bridges continents and stands at the crossroads of history and civilisation – is set to become one of the key centres of world football.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the opening ceremony of UEFA’s Istanbul office.
The ceremony will take place at 1200 PM on Thursday, 24 April, with UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA executive committee members, and presidents of member country federations also expected to be present.
Gala dinner on April 23
To mark both the opening of the UEFA Istanbul Office and National Sovereignty and Children’s Day – celebrated on the anniversary of the founding of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye – a gala dinner will be held on Wednesday, 23 April.
The dinner at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski, will bring together UEFA President Ceferin, executive committee members, federation heads from UEFA member countries, and representatives from the Turkish football community.
The UEFA Executive Board decides that the 2026 Europa League final will be held at Besiktas' home ground Tupras Stadium in Istanbul, while the venue for the 2027 Conference League final will be determined later.
Istanbul: A city of UEFA finals
Istanbul, the host of UEFA’s newest representative office, has previously drawn attention for hosting several major international football finals.
To date, the city has successfully hosted the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, the 2009 UEFA Cup Final, the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, and the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final.
Starting next year, Türkiye will host two more major UEFA finals in succession. Istanbul will welcome guests for the 2026 UEFA Europa League Final, followed by the 2027 UEFA Europa Conference League Final, which will be held either in Istanbul or Ankara depending on the completion status of a new stadium.
The UEFA Istanbul Office is also expected to play an active role in the preparations for the 2032 UEFA European Championship, which Türkiye will co-host with Italy.
