Behind the scenes: a Wembley final in the making

As Xavi Hernández and Nemanja Vidić led their respective sides from the Wembley tunnel on Saturday 28 May, more than 87,000 spectators inside the stadium – and an estimated worldwide television audience of 300 million in total – had eyes only for the prize and those playing for it.

To prepare the stage for such a spectacle, however, had required vast amounts of planning, hard work and dedication – and UEFA.com went behind the scenes in the week building up to the match to see how Saturday's slick event was pieced together.

If FC Barcelona's performance on the pitch was admired for its slick choreography as they waltzed to a 3-1 victory over Manchester United FC and a fourth European Champion Clubs' Cup, similar levels of synchronisation had been evident off it: from the warm-ups for the opening ceremony, through the teamwork needed to organise the stadium dressing, even down to the human focus of painting the stadium lines in the most accurate and detailed way.

Let UEFA.com take you on a guided tour of Wembley Stadium and see how the famous arena became such a dazzling setting for a memorable UEFA Champions League final.