Arsenal, of course. The Gunners’ presence in the Champions League final comes as no surprise, having produced a breathtaking league stage campaign, highlighted by eight wins in as many matches, including victories over Bayern Munich (3–1), Inter Milan (1–3) and Atlético Madrid (4–0). The latter remain the Londoners’ most recent victims, having been knocked out by them in the previous round. Since then, Arsenal have been crowned English champions and are determined to make this an even more historic season.
For their part, although Paris Saint-Germain did not enjoy such success during the league phase, finishing 11th in the table and having to go through the play-offs, the Rouge et Bleu made the most of the knockout stages to show Europe the full extent of their quality. The capital club first made their mark against Chelsea (5-2, 0-3), before imposing their authority on Liverpool (2-0, 0-2). In the semi-finals, the Parisians shone against Bayern Munich, emerging victorious from a legendary two-legged tie (5-4, 1-1). Now, Luis Enrique’s men can dream of a second victory in the competition.
0 – With no defeats to their name, Arsenal are the only unbeaten team in the Champions League this season (11 wins, 3 draws). In total, the Gunners have only trailed for 43 minutes.
3 – Since 2020, Paris Saint-Germain has reached the Champions League final three times (in 2020, 2025 and 2026), more than any other club over that period.
6 – With only 6 goals conceded in 14 matches, Arsenal have the best defence in the Champions League this season, averaging 0.43 goals conceded per game.
11 – Paris Saint-Germain are unbeaten in their last 11 Champions League knockout-stage matches (9 wins, 2 draws).
In goal, Mikel Arteta will naturally hand the keys to David Raya. Unbeatable this season, the Spanish international has been one of the key architects of the Gunners’ success, leaving his national team-mate Kepa Arrizabalaga on the bench. In front of the Spanish goalkeeper, a centre-back pairing has stood out in Europe for several years: William Saliba and Gabriel. Whilst the former excels in build-up play and one-on-one situations, the latter has shone throughout the season, particularly with his goals from set pieces. Today, this centre-back pairing is undoubtedly the best in the world.
So much so that the signings of Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera have failed to challenge the pecking order in the England defence, where Riccardo Calafiori is expected to start on the left. The Italian international has also established himself as one of the world’s leading players in his position, despite stiff competition from the promising Myles Lewis-Skelly, who is also capable of playing in midfield. The main uncertainty for the Gunners concerns the right-back position, where the excellent Jurriën Timber is not certain to start, whilst England international Ben White will be absent through injury.
Therefore, either Hincapié or Mosquera could start in that position, whilst the crucial Declan Rice (5 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this season) will start in the holding midfield role. A key figure in the London side, the former West Ham player has established himself as one of the world’s best midfielders, much like his captain Martin Ødegaard (1 goal, 8 assists), who is expected to play a bit further forward. Although less prominent this season, the former Real Madrid player remains his team’s technical leader, ably supported by Eberechi Eze (10 goals, 6 assists). But the Gunners’ No. 10 is not guaranteed a starting place, as the more versatile Spanish internationals Mikel Merino and Martín Zubimendi (6 goals, 3 assists each) could be preferred.
And up front, too, the England side's coaching staff have different options. On the left wing, Leandro Trossard’s consistency (8 goals, 10 assists) will be pitted against Gabriel Martinelli’s unpredictability (11 goals, 7 assists). In the centre-forward position as well, two very different players will be vying for the starting spot: the mobility of Kai Havertz (6 goals, 5 assists) or the power of Viktor Gyökeres (21 goals, 3 assists). Brazilian international Gabriel Jesus is expected to start on the bench. Finally, it is only on the right flank that the die has already been cast: the team’s attacking leader, Bukayo Saka (11 goals, 9 assists), will naturally be expected to start, whilst Noni Madueke (8 goals, 4 assists) is likely to begin on the bench.
