Oslo’s Ullevaal Arena, with a capacity of 28,000, hosted the women's Champions League final on May 27, 2023, between Barcelona and OL Lyonnes. The venue was sold out for the match, marking a significant event in women’s club football [1, 2].
Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati criticised the choice of Ullevaal Arena as too small. She described the stadium as a step backwards compared to filling large stadiums. "Norway is a fantastic country, but the conditions are different. We come from filling large stadiums and going to a smaller field is a step back," Bonmati said [1].
Former Norway captain Maren Mjelde countered these remarks on May 22, 2023, defending Oslo as a fitting host city. She argued that a full Ullevaal Arena with 28,000 fans creates a better atmosphere than a half-full larger stadium. "A full Ullevaal is cooler than a half-full stadium somewhere else - if I'm not mistaken, it wasn't a full stadium for the final last year, even though it was in a bigger stadium," Mjelde said [1].
The 2022 final in Lisbon took place at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, which can hold 52,095 but drew 38,356 fans, meaning it was not sold out [1, 2]. Barcelona’s Camp Nou, in contrast, has hosted crowds of over 60,000 for major matches such as their April 2023 6-0 win over Real Madrid. However, Barcelona’s average home attendance in the women’s league this season was just over 6,000, showing a wide gap between marquee events and regular games [1, 2].
Mjelde also highlighted Norway’s strong history in women’s football, noting the country is one of five to have won the Women’s World Cup. "Norway was the world leader for a while, and we want to get back there," she said [1]. She expressed no anger toward Bonmati’s criticism and suggested other Norwegian Barcelona players, like Caroline Graham Hansen and Martine Fenger, might hold different views. "I think if she had discussed this with the other Norwegian girls, they would have said something completely different," Mjelde said [1].
The sold-out final at Ullevaal Arena went ahead on May 27, 2023, serving as a milestone event for the development of women’s club football in Norway and Europe [1, 2].