PSG v Arsenal, Champions League final with history at stake in France and Europe | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain face Arsenal at 18:00 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, aiming to retain the Champions League. A win would deliver a feat no French club has achieved.

Le Progres notes that back-to-back titles would place PSG alongside Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Ajax and Real Madrid. It would also puncture last year’s Marseille taunt about them being consigned to second place.

Reims lost two European finals in the 1950s, Saint-Étienne fell in 1976, and Marseille have reached two, winning in 1993. Lyon’s dominant 2000s side never went beyond the semi-finals.

PSG are now the fourth most followed club worldwide, with more than 208 million social media followers. QSI’s 2011 takeover sought global popularity, driven by marketing and results beyond domestic titles.

After an early era of star stacking with Neymar, Messi, Beckham, Ibrahimovic and Mbappé, a younger, Paris-region core delivered last year’s European crown. Luis Enrique has shaped a team fronted by talents such as Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé.

The club has become a global sports brand with ties to fashion, beauty and art, and its shirts are ubiquitous across France. A generation now in their 20s has known only QSI’s winning PSG, and 44% of French people follow the club’s news.

Whether this is a five or 10-year cycle or something enduring remains open. Given its location and investment, some foresee PSG staying among Europe’s elite, while others quietly hope Arsenal prevail.

Source: Le Progres