Budapest, we're here!
Men's football•
Around 20,000 Paris Saint-Germain fans will be in attendance for the UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal FC this Saturday, 30 May at 6pm at the Puskas Arena, with the aim of securing a second star.
As with every European fixture, a wave of red and blue is currently sweeping through Budapest! Led by the Collectif Ultras Paris, the numerous supporters’ clubs from all over the world, children accompanied by PSG for Communities, and staff invited by the club, the Parisian ‘twelfth man’ will be more than well represented in the 67,000-seat stadium. Franck Berteau, a huge Paris Saint-Germain fan and runner, has ran 54 km through the streets of Budapest to spell out ‘PSG’ and show his support for the team.
This Saturday between 8am and 3pm at the MTK Sportpark, fans can visit the capital club’s Fan Zone (which will also remain open after the match), where a host of activities await them, including appearances by former Paris Saint-Germain players Javier Pastore, Christophe Jallet, Blaise Matuidi and Pedro Miguel Pauleta, as well as around twenty other guests invited by the club, such as Sammy Traoré. “It’s great to see the club here and all its staff,” explained the former Parisian defender. “It’s really nice to see all these supporters who’ve made the trip. Honestly, it’s brilliant! The whole club is pulling in the same direction, it’s amazing. Everyone is giving their all for the club and the city. As a Parisian, a supporter and a former player, we’re over the moon. You couldn’t put it better. We couldn’t have asked for more. We’ve got a team that reflects who we are, with that Parisian spirit, never giving up, with some truly great players, a President and a coaching staff doing a brilliant job, and we’re into a second consecutive final. Here’s hoping we win it and make all Parisians and French people happy!”
“Last season, I wastched the final at the Parc,” added Boukary Dramé. “It was great, the stadium was packed and the atmosphere was incredible. This time, I’ll be at the stadium and I’m really happy about that. I believe, I hope we’ll win. We know the coach and the players are ready. With the effort and hard work they’re putting in, they can win it. They’re mentally ready and I believe in them!” At 2:15pm, Parisian supporters will take part in the now traditional Fan Walk, from Keleti Payaudvar metro station to their stand, to form a single, united front of 20,000 people behind the Parisian cause.
Now renowned throughout Europe, Paris Saint-Germain fans will head to the home of the Hungarian national team with a clear objective: to push their team towards securing a second star in the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League, just one year after their first. “Every time we see our supporters so passionate, it motivates us even more,” explained Paris coach Luis Enrique at a press conference on Friday. “Ahead of a final like this, we try to stay focused on the important things. It’s a motivation for us, not to make history as we did last year, but to continue being one of the best teams in the world.”
Captain Marquinhos echoed this sentiment, having also addressed the French, English, local and international media ahead of the traditional pre-match training session: “We have to be hungry. There are fans who’ve driven all the way here to support us. My dad’s one of them! The motivation, the hunger, the ambition to win this title… nothing has changed. It might even be even stronger because we’ve already tasted it.” Rouge et Bleu forward Ousmane Dembélé will also be fired up by the Parisian fans: “The excitement surrounding this final is huge, it gives us confidence to have all these fans here for us. They expect a lot from us and we hope to make them happy.”