A year ago, Paris Saint-Germain knocked out Arsenal in the semi-finals and went on to become European champions. Now the two sides are set to meet again, this time in the final, on May 30 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. AfroPari takes a closer look at the biggest match of the season.
What is at stake
Paris Saint-Germain are the reigning champions, chasing a second consecutive trophy. If the Parisians defeat Arsenal, they’ll become the first team since Real Madrid (2016–2018) to successfully defend their title.
The Gunners have never won the Champions League. In 2006, they reached the final but lost 2-1 to Barcelona.
20 years on – a new final and a new chance to rewrite history by winning Arsenal’s first Champions League title. This season, PSG has won Ligue 1 for the fifth time in a row, while Arsenal have claimed the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years. Both teams are aiming for the double.
Road to the final and key players
Paris Saint-Germain
On their way to the final, the French team dealt confidently with two English sides: in the round of 16, they thrashed Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate, before going on to beat Liverpool in the quarter-finals. The semi-final tie against Bayern Munich was one of the most spectacular in the tournament’s history – PSG won 6-5 on aggregate.
Paris Saint-Germain have the best attack in the Champions League. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has repeatedly proved to be a key player for the Red-and-Blues, scoring 10 goals and providing 6 assists in the competition. The Georgian winger is unpredictable in one-on-one situations and capable of changing the course of a match at any moment, so PSG fans have high hopes for him.
Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé is a constant threat to opponents, and his goals are often decisive. In the semi-finals against Bayern, he scored three times, securing his team’s ticket to the Champions League final 2026.
Paris Saint-Germain are packed with star players in every position. Luis Enrique’s side are slight favorites and are sure to unleash their full attacking potential on the Gunners.
Arsenal
The Londoners have been exceptionally solid in defense and have gone through the entire tournament without a single defeat – 14 games in a row. In the semi-finals, the Gunners played two tense matches against Atlético Madrid, with few goals and plenty of hard-fought action. The outcome was decided by a precise strike from winger Bukayo Saka, and Arsenal reached the final for the first time in 20 years.
Saka leads the Gunners’ attacks: his movement and passing create space for his teammates. Meanwhile, the team’s top scorers in the tournament are Gabriel Martinelli (6 goals) and Viktor Gyökeres (5 goals).
Declan Rice stays in charge of Arsenal’s midfield. He’s great at winning the ball back, delivers pinpoint passes to his teammates, and has a thunderous shot. His free kicks still haunt Real Madrid fans in their nightmares.
Mikel Arteta will no doubt attempt to deprive the Parisians of space and rely on counterattacks. Thanks to their reliable defense, the Londoners have conceded just 6 goals in the current campaign, while center-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães regularly pose a threat from set pieces.
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