Football

Al Jazeera runs you through this season’s UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.

Europe’s premier club competition concludes on Saturday when the final of the UEFA Champions League is played.

From qualifying to a comprehensive league phase and then the drama of the knockouts, the tournament now comes down to two teams.

Al Jazeera runs you through the top 10 things you need to know about the showpiece event for European football’s governing body, UEFA.

Who is playing in the Champions League final?

This year’s final will be contested by English Premier League club Arsenal, who overcame Atletico Madrid in the semifinals, and French giants Paris Saint-Germain, who defeated Bayern Munich in their last-four clash.

Who is the defending Champions League winner?

PSG are the defending champions, having lifted the tournament for the first time last season.

The French club beat Inter Milan in the final with an incredible 5-0 scoreline that humiliated the Italian Serie A club in Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

Desire Doue scored twice to cement his place as one of the biggest names in the game, even at the tender age of 19.

Achraf Hakimi was also on the scoresheet alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu. Incredibly Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele missed out on netting a goal despite being one of the star names en route to the final.

Who is the favourite to win this year’s final?

PSG are the heavy favourites to defend their crown, but Arsenal are being tipped as one of the rising forces in European football.

The Gunners have never won Europe’s most prized footballing trophy but have just ended a 22-year wait to lift the Premier League.

Who are PSG’s key players for the Champions League final?

Doue and Dembele remain the key figures for PSG although the latter is an injury doubt for the final.

Hakimi is also one of the most recognisable players in the Parisians’ ranks, but he is the major concern for the match, having missed both legs of the semifinal and the last four Ligue 1 games of the season because of an injury.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tops PSG’s scoring charts across all competitions this season by one goal ahead of Dembele, who has 18. Bradley Barcelo has 13 strikes to his name while Doue has 12.

At the back, PSG are lead by Brazilian international Marquinhos.

Who are Arsenal’s key players for the Champions League final?

Declan Rice is seen as the heart of Arsenal’s team, not least as the England midfielder operates in the centre of the park.

Viktor Gyokeres has grown into the role of leading the line in attack, and the Swedish international has returned 19 goals in his debut season for the North Londoners.

The two players that are often regarded as having the magical touches for the Gunners, though, are England internationals Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, who have netted 10 and 7 times, respectively.

Much like PSG, Arsenal have a Brazilian powerhouse at the back in the form of Gabriel Magalhaes.

Where is the Champions League final being played?

The final is being staged at Puskas Stadium in the Hungarian capital, Budapest.

The stadium – named in honour of the country’s most famous footballer, Ferenc Puskas – was rebuilt in 2017, and construction was completed for its reopening in 2019. It has the capacity for 67,215 spectators.

What trophies have Arsenal and PSG already won this season?

Arsenal sealed their first league title since 2004 when Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” went unbeaten all season. The campaign went to the penultimate match when Manchester City’s failure to win at Bournemouth meant the North Londoners could no longer be caught. The Gunners also reached the final of the League Cup, but they were defeated by City.

PSG finished six points clear of Lens in the French league, beating their nearest challengers in the penultimate round to secure the trophy.

It is their fifth consecutive league title and their 12th in 14 seasons, taking their overall tally to 14 Ligue 1 crowns.

When is the Champions League final, and what time is kickoff?

The match is being played on Saturday and will kick off at 6pm (17:00 GMT).

Will the Champions League final be free to watch?

No. The UEFA Champions League is part of a subscription package across the world, as sold by the continent’s governing body.

How can I follow the Champions League final?

Al Jazeera Sport will bring you our comprehensive build-up before kickoff from 2pm (13:00 GMT) on Saturday before our text commentary stream of the match.

Barcelona weigh up move for Piero Hincapie, Ruben Dias instructs agents to explore move away from Manchester City and Liverpool pushing for quick agreement with Yan Diomande.

Barcelona are weighing up an approach for 24-year-old Arsenal and Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie. (Mail) , external

Manchester City and Portugal defender Ruben Dias, 29, has instructed his agent to explore options for a move away, with Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all monitoring his situation. (Caught Offside), external

Liverpool are pushing for a quick agreement with RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, while Paris St-Germain and Manchester City are closely monitoring the situation and have already held talks with the 19-year-old Ivory Coast international. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Crystal Palace want to convince England midfielder Adam Wharton, 22, and Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada, 29, to stay following their Conference League final win. (Sky Sports) , external

Bournemouth are determined to resist any summer offers for French forward Eli Junior Kroupi, 19, Brazil winger Rayan, 19, and England midfielder Alex Scott, 22, with mounting interest in the trio. (Guardian), external

Manchester United and Chelsea are among the clubs considering a move for Scott in the summer transfer window. (Teamtalk), external

West Ham and Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug wants to leave after their relegation with Bundesliga side Werder Bremen among those interested in the 33-year-old. (Sky, in German), external

Portuguese side Sporting want to re-sign 30-year-old Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha when his season-long loan at Tottenham from Bayern Munich ends. (A Bola, in Portuguese), external

Leeds United are lining up a move for 24-year-old Lyon and United States midfielder Tanner Tessmann as part of a busy summer of transfer business. (Football Insider) , external

Manchester City are considering their options if Brazil winger Savinho, 22, who is a target for Tottenham, ends up leaving the club. (Fabrizio Romano) , external

Marcelo Bielsa is widely revered as a pioneer of coaching, but his unconventional methods risk ruining Uruguay’s World Cup chances before the tournament has even begun, with rumours of dressing room unrest.

Nicknamed “El Loco”, which means madman, the 70-year-old’s bold, attacking approach has proved an inspiration to a younger generation of coaches, including Pep Guardiola and USA boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Yet, his famously demanding standards have often caused friction during a nomadic coaching career, and his stint in Uruguay has been no exception.

The Argentinian’s arrival initially generated huge excitement, which was fuelled by landmark victories over Brazil and Argentina in qualifying.

But they needed that flying start just to make it through after winning just three of their final 12 qualifiers.

The tipping point for many in the squad came at the Copa America in 2024.

Uruguay finished a creditable third, eliminating Brazil along the way, but Bielsa’s intensity during the monthlong tournament did not endear him to his players.

Luis Suarez hit out at Bielsa’s methods after retiring from international football months later, claiming he had reduced former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez to tears at half-time of a 2-0 win over Argentina, such was the force of his criticism.

Bielsa accepted that after the former Barcelona striker’s backlash, his “authority was affected” with the rest of the dressing room.

Results have also regressed, with Bielsa stating he was “ashamed” by a 5-1 friendly defeat by the USA in November.

Now, as his third World Cup with a third different nation approaches, the question is whether Bielsa can win back the faith of his players for a country so used to punching above its weight on the world stage.

And there are doubts as to how his high-energy style will fare in the gruelling conditions of Miami and Guadalajara, where Uruguay will face Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde and Spain in Group F.

Pochettino hails Bielsa as a ‘genius’

Bielsa made his name winning three league titles in Argentina with Newell’s Old Boys, where the stadium now bears his name, and Velez Sarsfield.

“For me, he’s a person I will always admire,” said Pochettino, whom Bielsa recruited for Newell’s as a 13-year-old.

“He’s a genius. A person with charisma and a personality very different from us, normal coaches, and that’s what makes him special.”

Bielsa’s sides in Bilbao with Athletic Club, where he reached the Europa League and Copa del Rey finals in 2011-12, and Marseille, where he led Ligue 1 at the halfway stage in 2014-15, were also admired but ended up empty-handed as their energy ran out.

In Leeds, murals still bear Bielsa’s face, four years on from his departure, after he led a sleeping giant of English football back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years in 2020.

His time there ended in familiar fashion with an exhausted squad that was relegated to the second tier the season after he departed.

Yet, the esteem with which he is held for his daring tactical approach endures.

“To be loved is this biggest title, bigger than the Champions League or Premier League or whatever,” said Guardiola, who went to visit Bielsa in Argentina before setting out as a coach at Barcelona.

“To be loved is the most important thing, and I think Marcelo has that more than any other manager in the world.”

Bielsa, who oversaw Argentina’s group-stage elimination in 2002 and Chile’s round-of-16 loss to hosts Brazil in 2014, has already hinted ‌that he may not remain as manager ⁠of Uruguay beyond ⁠July, saying his job with the team ends with the World Cup.

“Our job ends with the World Cup,” ⁠Bielsa said at an event organised by the Uruguayan Football Association last Friday.

Although he did not elaborate on his remarks, local media reported ⁠that the Argentinian will not continue once his current contract expires at the end of the June 11-July 19 tournament.

“It is a miracle in any ‌professional’s sporting career to take part in the World Cup,” he said. “I will be forever grateful to Uruguay for allowing me to enjoy a competition like the World Cup.”

US States react following increasing criticism of football’s global governing body for the pricing of FIFA World Cup 2026.

FIFA faces a subpoena from the ‌states of New York and New Jersey as part of an investigation surrounding ticket pricing and ⁠accuracy of seat locations for the 2026 World Cup.

In a joint news release on Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport ⁠said prices for the 2026 World Cup matches “far exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament”.

FIFA has detailed the first-time use of “dynamic pricing” to adjust ticket costs based ⁠on demand. Fan complaints and allegations of paying for tickets in one location of the stadium but receiving a less-desirable seat caught the attention of state officials.

When pressed to explain why prices of tickets, which went on sale in October, were so high, FIFA President Gianni Infantino ‌defended the governing body on multiple fronts by pointing to the limited ticket supply for an event with worldwide demand.

The state attorneys general confirmed they are seeking information regarding the general event pricing structure, location pricing structure, seat locations and other details related to the eight World Cup matches scheduled to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the United States. The July 19 final as well as group stage matches and early knock-out round games are to be held at MetLife Stadium.

“New ⁠Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to ⁠come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,” James said in a release. “No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the ⁠tickets they purchased will be the ones they receive.”

The investigation seeks to soothe concerns for fans who’ve purchased – or hope to have an ⁠opportunity to purchase – tickets but feel misled about ⁠the final product.

“FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity and impossibly high prices – all at the expense of consumers and hard-working New Jerseyans,” Davenport said in the statement.

James said ‌watchdogs called on government officials for guidance to resolve disputes from fans who said they had selected a seat in one category of the four available at MetLife Stadium only to be ‌assigned ‌seats farther back from the playing surface.

FIFA contributed to elements of the seating location confusion with the late introduction of a premium ticket option, or “Front Category”, after initial tickets had already been sold.

Coach Ouahbi drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe where majority of the 26 players he selected were born.

Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi was among nine players from Morocco’s history-making 2022 World Cup squad named for the 2026 tournament in North America.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who was only hired in March, drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe, where the majority of the 26 players he selected were born.

Ouahbi was himself born in Belgium, while Hakimi and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz are among five players in the squad born in Spain and whose family ties make them eligible for Morocco.

Three of Morocco’s squad – Fulham defender Issa Diop, PSV Eindhoven defender Anass Salah-Eddine and 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi – had their change of national eligibility approved by FIFA in the past nine months. Diaz has played for Morocco since 2024 after previously representing Spain.

Morocco will be based in New Jersey where it opens against Brazil on June 13 in East Rutherford. The Atlas Lions then play Scotland in Massachusetts and finish Group C against Haiti on June 24, in Atlanta. The top two in the standings go directly to the round of 16, and the third-place team also could advance.

At the 2022 World Cup, when it was coached by Walid Regragui, Morocco made history as the first semifinalist at the tournament from Africa.

Morocco topped its group ahead of Croatia and Belgium, then shocked Spain and Portugal in the knockout rounds before an injury-hit team lost to France.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who impressed in Qatar, returns for his third World Cup at age 35.

Morocco will go to the United States as the African champion – for now. That title, awarded in a legal case, could be lost within months at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where Senegal has appealed to regain its victory won on the field in January in Morocco.

After losing the final to Senegal four months ago, Regragui stepped down and was replaced by Ouahbi, who guided Morocco to the Under-20 World Cup title last year. That team that beat Argentina in the final included Strasbourg forward Gessime Yassine, whom Ouhabi picked again on Tuesday.

Morocco will play at the 2030 World Cup as a cohost with Spain and Portugal. South American neighbours Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – the original tournament host in 1930 – get one game each to host at that edition as part of a commemorative recognition for their contributions to World Cup history.

Morocco World Cup roster

Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal), Munir El Kajoui (RS Berkane), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (AS FAR)

Defenders: Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United), Anass Salah-Eddine (PSV Eindhoven), Youssef Belammari (Al Ahly), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), Zakaria El Ouahdi (Genk), Nayef Aguerd (Marseille), Chadi Riad (Crystal Palace), Redouane Halhal (Mechelen), Issa Diop (Fulham)

Midfielders: Samir El Mourabet (Strasbourg), Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille), Neil El Aynaoui (Roma), Sofyan Amrabat (Real Betis), Azzedine Ounahi (Girona), Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart), Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven)

Forwards: Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiakos), Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid), Gessime Yassine (Strasbourg), Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyabe (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Lionel Messi was injured in Inter Miami’s MLS game on Sunday, but Argentina are confident he will be fit for World Cup.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the initial news regarding superstar Lionel Messi’s fitness “is not that bad” and hopes further examinations will confirm that diagnosis, with the World Cup just two weeks away.

Messi has been diagnosed with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring by his Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami after he made an abrupt exit from Miami’s 6-4 victory over Philadelphia in the 73rd minute on Sunday.

Even at 38 and eyeing a sixth World Cup finals appearance, Messi remains the side’s talisman for the defence of the title they won in Qatar four years ago.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has scored 116 goals in 198 appearances for Argentina.

“Obviously, we would have preferred that nothing had happened,” Scaloni told Argentinian TV station DSports on Tuesday.

“Now one has to wait and see how it evolves and above all, the new tests they are going to conduct in order to see if it confirms their original diagnosis.”

Scaloni, who is due to name his squad next week, added he had watched the match on TV at the federation’s headquarters and been relieved that Messi had asked to come off.

Inter manager Guillermo Hoyos explained after the match that Messi was tired, the pitch was heavy and no one wanted to take a risk with his fitness.

Inter Miami issued a statement on Monday saying: “The timeline for his return to physical activity will depend on his clinical and functional progress.”

That gave little indication about the status of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Argentina are set to begin their World Cup campaign on June 16, against Algeria in Kansas City.

They then play Austria on June 22 and round off their Group J campaign against Jordan on June 28.

Messi has managed his workload since joining Inter Miami in 2023, with team staff regularly excusing him from matches in congested fixture periods.

MLS has started a break in its season for the World Cup, which is cohosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Messi has not formally confirmed he plans to play in the World Cup, but is widely expected to return for what would be a record-matching sixth appearance at the finals. His highlight was the victory in the final against France at the 2022 edition.

His great Portuguese rival Cristiano Ronaldo and potentially Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa would also be making a sixth appearance.

Argentina are set to play two pre-World Cup friendlies against Honduras on June 6, and Iceland on June 9, both in the US.