The UEFA Champions League final always guarantees an unforgettable spectacle as the best of the best go head to head in Europe’s premier stadiums. Off the pitch, we’re teaming up with sponsors and innovative startups to ensure the competition will leave a lasting legacy for host cities.
Champions Innovate is a groundbreaking initiative that takes place in the months leading up to the Champions League final and brings together UEFA, commercial partners, host city authorities and startup companies. Each season, the startups are tasked with finding innovative solutions to specific challenges set by the host city.
For the 2024 final at Wembley Stadium, the City of London proposed three challenges, each with the goal of enhancing the competition’s social and environmental impact.
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Three startups – Pavegen, My Emissions and Pledgeball – were chosen to develop pilot projects responding to the challenges. Each was teamed up with one of three Champions League sponsors – PepsiCo, Just Eat Takeaway.com and Mastercard.
UEFA, the English Football Association, the Greater London Authority and London & Partners have provided additional expertise as well as opportunities to connect with other local stakeholders.
Three workshops, held in London, will give Pavegen, My Emissions and Pledgeball an opportunity to draw on expert knowledge and guidance to refine their pilot projects.
Each startup will be invited to demonstrate the impact of their work at a showcase event at London’s City Hall on 30 May 2024, two days before the Champions League final. An expert jury will then award an additional €45,000 prize to the competition’s winner.
UEFA is committed to using football to make a positive impact on global sustainability issues. Champions Innovate complements our wider efforts to identify innovative and sustainability-focused solutions across the football ecosystem. It is fully aligned with our dedicated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy for the 2024 Champions League final.
