The UEFA Champions League final this season will take place on Saturday between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal. This marks the first time the two sides have faced off in the final of Europe's most prestigious club competition.
PSG are the defending champions, having defeated Inter Milan 5-0 in last year's final at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. Désiré Doué scored twice and was one of the standout young stars, alongside Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Senny Mayulu who also found the net. Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembélé, the Ballon d'Or winner, did not score in that final.
PSG are heavily favored to retain their title, but Arsenal are also seen as a rising force. The London club have never won the Champions League but recently ended a 22-year Premier League drought.
Key players for PSG include Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé, though Dembélé is nursing an injury and may not play. Achraf Hakimi is also a concern after missing both semi-final legs and four of PSG's last Ligue 1 matches. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia leads PSG's scoring charts across all competitions with 19 goals, one more than Dembélé. Bradley Barcelo has 13 goals, while Doué has 12. In defense, Marquinhos is the leader.
For Arsenal, Declan Rice is the heartbeat of the team in midfield. Viktor Gyokeres, the Swedish striker, scored 19 goals in his debut season and leads the attack. Bukayo Saka (10 goals) and Eberechi Eze (7 goals) are seen as players capable of producing magic moments. Gabriel Magalhães starts in central defense, similar to PSG with Marquinhos.
The final will be held at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, which has a capacity of 67,215 seats, was inaugurated in 2019, and is named after legendary Ferenc Puskas.
Arsenal won the Premier League this season for the first time since 2004, along with reaching the League Cup final but losing to Manchester City. PSG also won Ligue 1 for the 14th time, finishing six points ahead of Lens, marking their fifth consecutive title.
The match will kick off on Saturday at 6 PM local time (17:00 GMT).
