The biggest club soccer game of the season will be getting some major national air time in the USA.
The 2022 UEFA Champions League final between European giants Liverpool and Real Madrid will be nationally televised for an American audience from the Stade de France just outside Paris. And it will be available in two languages.
UEFA's marquee event is held yearly at a neutral venue to anoint the best club team across the European landscape, and broadcasters from around the world flock to cover a match that often features the most star-studded teams on the planet. U.S.-based rightsholders CBS and Univision will be sending crews on-site for complete coverage, including pre- and post-game shows. All the details follow below.
This year a total of 80 teams contested the various stages of the competition and there will be one left standing after May 28. Below is all you need to know to watch it in the USA.
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Champions League final TV channel in USA
- Date: Saturday, May 28
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV channel: CBS
- Spanish-language TV: Univision, TUDN
- Streaming: fuboTV, Paramount+, ViX
The match will be broadcast in the USA on CBS (English), Univision and TUDN (Spanish) with all three channels streamed on fuboTV, which is available on a free trial for new users.
CBS will have its full crew in France: Kate Abdo will host a 90-minute pregame show, halftime show, and one-hour postgame show with analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.
Peter Schmeichel, Jules Breach, Guillem Balague and Jenny Chiu will handle sideline responsibilities. Clive Tyldesley will be the play-by-play voice, alongside Rob Green as analyst. Christina Unkel will break down big referee decisions.
Univision/TUDN's Spanish-language coverage of the event will start one hour prior to the match, led by former players Javier Zanetti, Ivan "Bam Bam" Zamorano, hosts Lindsay Casinelli and Tony Cherchi, match broadcasters Diego Balado and Luis Omar Tapia, and sideline reporter Daniel Chanona.
The match will also be available to watch free in Spanish on ViX, Univision's free streaming platform. ViX is available for free on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku devices, Samsung Smart TVs and via the web on vix.com.
MORE: Which teams are in the 2022-23 Champions League?
How Liverpool reached 2022 Champions League final
Liverpool was a perfect 6-for-6 in the group stage and then benefited from a fortunate draw in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the tournament.
| Date | Round | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2022 | Final | Stade de France Saint-Denis, France |
??? |
| May 3, 2022 | Semifinal 2nd leg |
Estadio de la Ceramica Villarreal, Spain |
Villarreal 2-3 Liverpool |
| Apr. 27, 2022 | Semifinal 1st leg |
Anfield Liverpool, England |
Liverpool 2-0 Villarreal |
| Apr. 13, 2022 | Quarterfinal 2nd leg |
Anfield Liverpool, England |
Liverpool 3-3 Benfica |
| Apr. 5, 2022 | Quarterfinal 1st leg |
Estadio da Luz Lisbon, Portugal |
Benfica 1-3 Liverpool |
| Mar. 8, 2022 | Round of 16 2nd leg |
Anfield Liverpool, England |
Liverpool 0-1 Inter |
| Feb. 16, 2022 | Round of 16 1st leg |
San Siro Milan, Italy |
Inter 0-2 Liverpool |
| Dec. 7, 2021 | Group B | San Siro Milan, Italy |
AC Milan 1-2 Liverpool |
| Nov. 24, 2021 | Group B | Anfield Liverpool, England |
Liverpool 2-0 Porto |
| Nov. 3, 2021 | Group B | Anfield Liverpool, England |
Liverpool 2-0 Atletico Madrid |
| Oct. 19, 2021 | Group B | Wanda Metripolitano Madrid, Spain |
Atletico Madrid 2-3 Liverpool |
| Sep. 28, 2021 | Group B | Estadio do Dragao Porto, Portugal |
Porto 1-5 Liverpool |
| Sept. 15, 2021 | Group B | Anfield Liverpool, England |
Liverpool 3-2 AC Milan |
How Real Madrid reached 2022 Champions League final
Real Madrid needed to come from behind against world-class opposition in every knockout round to reach the final. Do they have one more dramatic finish in them to extend their tournament record trophy haul?
| Date | Round | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2022 | Final | Stade de France Saint-Denis, France |
??? |
| May 4, 2022 | Semifinal 2nd leg |
Santiago Bernabeu Madrid, Spain |
Real Madrid 3-1 Man City (a.e.t.) |
| Apr. 26, 2022 | Semifinal 1st leg |
Etihad Stadium Manchester, England |
Man City 4-3 Real Madrid |
| Apr. 12, 2022 | Quarterfinal 2nd leg |
Santiago Bernabeu Madrid, Spain |
Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea (a.e.t.) |
| Apr. 6, 2022 | Quarterfinal 1st leg |
Stamford Bridge London, England |
Chelsea 1-3 Real Madrid |
| Mar. 9, 2022 | Round of 16 2nd leg |
Santiago Bernabeu Madrid, Spain |
Real Madrid 3-1 PSG |
| Feb. 15, 2022 | Round of 16 1st leg |
Parc des Princes Paris, France |
PSG 1-0 Real Madrid |
| Dec. 7, 2021 | Group D | Santiago Bernabeu Madrid, Spain |
Real Madrid 2-0 Inter |
| Nov. 24, 2021 | Group D | Sheriff Sports Complex Tiraspol, Moldova |
FC Sheriff 0-3 Real Madrid |
| Nov. 3, 2021 | Group D | Santiago Bernabeu Madrid, Spain |
Real Madrid 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Oct. 19, 2021 | Group D | NSK Olympic Stadium Kyiv, Ukraine |
Shakhtar Donetsk 0-5 Real Madrid |
| Sep. 28, 2021 | Group D | Santiago Bernabeu Madrid, Spain |
Real Madrid 1-2 FC Sheriff |
| Sept. 15, 2021 | Group D | San Siro Milan, Italy |
Inter 0-1 Real Madrid |
2022 Champions League final stadium
The 2022 UEFA Champions League final will be held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, just north of downtown Paris.
This year's original host venue selection was the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. But some rescheduling due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the final venues were all pushed back a year. While Istanbul was shifted to 2023, Saint Petersburg (Russia) was set to be the venue for 2022.
However, when Russia invaded Ukraine in February, UEFA pulled the final from the Russian city and instead tabbed Saint-Denis, France to be the site of the 2022 Champions League final.
This year's match will be the first Champions League final held in France since 2006, when Barcelona defeated Arsenal 2-1 in comeback fashion. The Stade de France also hosted the 2000 Champions League final (Real Madrid 3, Valencia 0). The stadium's most famous event was arguably the 1998 World Cup final which France won on home soil over Brazil.
MORE: How can Real Madrid defeat juggernaut Liverpool?
What happens if Champions League final ends in draw?
If the Champions League final finishes deadlocked after 90 minutes of regulation, 30 minutes of extra time will be played (two 15-minute halves).
But if the 30 minutes of bonus soccer still don't produce a winner, then a penalty kick shootout will be the ultimate arbiter. Each team would take a minimum of five penalties each, and if the shootout score is level after both teams have taken their five kicks, they move to sudden death rounds. If one of the teams converts their attempt and the other doesn't a winner is crowned.
The last Champions League final to require a penalty shootout was the 2016 edition as the Madrid derby rivals could not be separated after 120 minutes of action.
After a 1-1 draw, Real Madrid needed penalties to defeat bitter rivals Atletico Madrid 5-3. Real made all five of their kicks, while Juanfran failed to make Atletico's fourth spot kick, erasing the need for Atletico to even attempt their last kick.
MORE: Champions League finals that have gone to extra time and the finals that went to penalties
