The 2023-24 UEFA Europa League will conclude at the Dublin Arena in the Republic of Ireland where Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta will play on May 22. The two finalists will meet in Dublin to claim the trophy from title holders Sevilla, who won it the past season after beating Jose Mourinho's AS Roma in penalties in Budapest. The 2023-24 winners also gain a place in the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League group stage, if they have not qualified via their domestic competition. Here's everything you need to know about the final.
Where to watch
Date: Wednesday, May 22 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Dublin Arena -- Dublin, Republic of Ireland
TV: CBS Sports Network | Stream: Paramount+
Early keys to the game
Bayer Leverkusen don't really know how to lose a game this season as the side coached by Xabi Alonso are still unbeaten. With 49 games (as of now), Bayer Leverkusen have the longest unbeaten streak in European football history in the post-war era and don't want to stop. After winning the 2023-24 Bundesliga title, Bayer reached their second final as they will also face Kaiserslautern in the DFB Pokal final on May 25, three days after the Europa League final against Atalanta. It's still the most incredible season in the history of the German club, but there are two more games to make it even more extraordinary.
It's also the first, and deserved, time that Atalanta have reached the Europa League final. This is just the latest step of an incredible run and cycle that started back in 2016 when Gian Piero Gasperini was appointed as the coach of the club. Since then, Atalanta qualified for the UEFA Champions League three times, reaching the quarterfinals in 2020 but also multiple times to the Europa League, where this season they reached the final for the first time. The Nerazzurri will also face Juventus in the Coppa Italia final on May 15, another chance to win their first trophy under Gasperini and their second-ever trophy after the Coppa Italia won in 1963.
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The stadium
With a capacity in excess of 50,000, Dublin Arena is the home of the Republic of Ireland's national football and Ireland's rugby union team. First opened in 2010, the stadium will be staging its second Europa League decider, having been the venue for the all-Portuguese final of 2011 between Porto and Braga, when Radamel Falcao scored the only goal for Porto.
The format
The Europa League final follows a similar format to the UEFA Champions League final. If the score is level at the end of normal time, two 15-minute periods of extra time are played. If one of the teams scores more goals than the other during extra time, that team is declared the winner. If the score remains level after extra time, the winner is determined by a penalty shootout.
Where will the other 2024 finals be held?
The 2024 Women's Champions League final will be played at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, while the 2024 Europa Conference League final will take place at the Agia Sofia Stadium in Athens, Greece. Last but not least, the 2024 Champions League final will be played at the Wembley Stadium in London.
