When Arsenal faces Paris Saint-Germain in Saturday’s Champions League final, the rivalry will extend to the singing in the stands.

Thousands of opposing fans will try drowning out their rivals’ anthem with their own at Budapest’s Puskás Aréna stadium.

Those from defending champion PSG will passionately bellow “Tous ensemble on chantera” (All together we will sing) invented by the club’s Ultras fans.

Arsenal fans will sing the catchy chorus taken from “The Angel (North London Forever)” written by singer and Arsenal fan Louis Dunford in 2022.

It’s a homage to the Islington area of north London where he grew up, close to Arsenal’s current and past stadiums: Highbury and The Emirates. It was soon adopted by sections of the Arsenal crowd and then kept growing in popularity.

“This song I wrote in my bedroom as a little love letter to my home town,” Dunford told spectators during a concert. “I never dreamed I’d hear it sung at every home game.”

With some London rhyming slang — known as Cockney — and gritty-but-witty vocabulary, it tells of local pubs, faces old and new, rough council estates with roguish characters, single mothers, and people in trouble with the law.

“The manor might be changing, but the people still remain,” Dunford sings, adding. “It’s in the roots that we inherit when a generation ends, it’s in the ruins of your youth and the faces of your past.”

The uplifting chorus, bellowed out by Arsenal fans, goes like this: “North London forever, “Whatever the weather, “The streets are our own.” “And my heart will leave you never, “My blood will forever, “Run through the stone.” Even famed actress Anne Hathaway posted a video of herself singing it which went viral on Instagram.

Two weeks ago, Arsenal fans sang it to celebrate a first Premier League title since 2004, with Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta describing it as an “emotional explosion” after years of near misses.

By comparison, PSG’s Ligue 1 title was its fifth straight and record-extending 14th overall.

But up until last year PSG had never won the Champions League, and at one stage it seemed an impossible ambition.

Turmoil to triumph

PSG’s anthem reflects the loyalty of its fans throughout bad struggles on and off the field.

Backed up by a steady drum and sung slowly with stretched-out sentences, it goes like this: Paris S G, Tous ensemble on chantera (All together we will sing), Cet amour qu’on a pour toi (This love we have for you), Qui ne cessera jamais (Which will never end).

Après tant d’années (After so many years), De galères et de combats (Of setbacks and struggles), Oh pour toi Paris SG (Oh for you PSG), On va se casser la voix (We will break our voices).

The club’s Ultras came up with it after finally being allowed back into PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, under the new collective name of Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP).

Fans belted it out in Munich last year when PSG routed Inter Milan 5-0 to win the Champions League.

PSG coach Luis Enrique joined in with the fans this year after his side eliminated Munich following a pulsating semifinal.

Dark Days

Such upbeat scenes were a stark contrast from PSG’s past.

When Arsenal reached the Champions League final in 2006 — losing to Barcelona in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis — PSG was nowhere near Europe’s elite.

Unsuccessful on the field, PSG was also dealing with a major hooliganism problem which began in the late 1980s and saw several big fights near the Parc des Princes stadium — including against Arsenal in 1994.

A PSG fan was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer in 2006 following a home match against Hapoël Tel-Aviv in the UEFA Cup. The officer was protecting a fan of Hapoël Tel-Aviv from a threatening mob which had surrounded him.

On the field, PSG was almost relegated to the second tier in 2008, staying up with an away win on the final day. Soccer violence resulted in another death in 2010 following a violent clash, the result of a vicious feud between rival sets of PSG fans.

QSI arrives

Qatari-backed QSI bought PSG in 2011 and bankrolled billions.

But despite signing the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi, PSG could not win the Champions League.

Until Enrique took charge in 2023.

Out went Neymar and Mbappé and a new team was built around selflessness and teamwork. Enrique incorporated young players like Désiré Doué, re-motivated Ousmane Dembélé, last year’s Ballon d’Or winner, and made a game-changing decision when he signed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Spanish connection

Spaniards Enrique and Arteta were excellent midfielders.

Enrique, 56, stood out with Real Madrid and Barcelona. Arteta, 44, played at PSG from 2000-02 and Arsenal from 2011-16.

If Arteta gets one over on his countryman and leads Arsenal to its first Champions League title, the singing in north London will be deafening.

Published – May 30, 2026 12:25 pm IST

The Champions League, the most important continental trophy in European club soccer, is the prize at stake in the final at Budapest on Saturday. For Paris Saint-Germain and Luis Enrique, it doesn’t end there.

On the line against Arsenal for the defending champion and its serial-winning Spanish coach is the chance to stake its claim to be considered the greatest team of this era.

“I arrived at the club thinking, My objective is to make history,’ and we have indeed made history,” Luis Enrique said. “We want to keep writing the story because we believe there’s still more there for us to achieve,” he added.

PSG is already in the conversation when it comes to judging the finest teams to have won the title in the age of the Champions League. But sometimes cold, hard facts are required to drive the point home.

Back-to-back titles are rare

Victory at the Puskas Arena would see PSG become only the second team to retain the trophy since the old European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992.

For many years it didn’t happen even for teams regarded as generationally great.

Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona won two in three years. AC Milan and Juventus each reached three consecutive finals in the 90s, but only won one apiece. Ajax and Manchester United took title defences all the way to the final only to fall at the last hurdle.

Real Madrid — winner of more European titles than any other club — finally bucked that trend, winning three in a row from 2016-18. What seemed unthinkable before and since would suddenly seem a very real target for PSG if it prevails on Saturday.

Luis Enrique would join Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane as a three-time Champions League winner. Not that his motivation is based on personal accolades.

PSG’s ascent

Having won the Champions League with Barcelona, Luis Enrique has produced a PSG team that has set the benchmark in Europe over the past two seasons. It combines attacking flair with an energy and tenacity that appear to be moving the sport in a new direction. A team that plays with a high risk of being exposed defensively for the ultimate reward.

At its best, PSG seems unstoppable, with last year’s 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in the final the most dominant in the tournament’s history.

And with a squad that has an average age of under 24, the potential is there for it to dominate for years to come.

Desire Doue, the two-goal hero of last year’s final, is just 20. Tireless midfielder Joao Neves is 21.

Madrid’s premier position is plain to see in PSG’s performances — such as the 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in the semifinals — that this is a special team, but titles are needed to confirm its status among the greatest.

To many, Guardiola’s Barcelona that won in 2009 and 2011 with Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta is the benchmark for the modern era.

To some, Luis Enrique’s title-winning Barcelona team in 2015, spearheaded by Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, was even better.

Statistically, none can match Zinedine Zidane’s Madrid team of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos that won three consecutive titles. Over five years, Madrid was European champion four times.

Overall, PSG has a long way to go to come close to Madrid’s 15 titles, having won the Champions League for the first time last year. But it can stake its claim to be considered the best of its era.

End of the Galacticos

PSG has certainly taken its time to reach this point. Backed by Qatari riches, it bought the best players in the world in its bid to conquer Europe — Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as billions of dollars were spent.

It wasn’t until there was a shift in focus to a more team-based model — still packed with superstars acquired at exorbitant cost — that PSG reached the summit.

Out went the Galacticos Messi, Neymar and finally Mbappe. In came Doue, Joao Neves, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Ousmane Dembele — a player who hadn’t fulfilled expectations at Barcelona — reemerged in Paris as the talisman of a spectacularly talented, but inexperienced group.

A semifinal in Luis Enrique’s first campaign was followed by last year’s triumph and the chance to go back-to-back this season.

“I’d say there was more pressure last season because everyone was like, This is it! We can’t lose this time!” Luis Enrique said. “This time around, there is pressure because we believe we deserve it.”

Arsenal’s aims

While PSG targets history, Arsenal is aiming to pull off an upset and win its first Champions League title.

The Premier League champion advanced to the final after topping the league phase of the European competition with a perfect winning record.

Mikel Arteta’s team is in the final after being beaten by PSG in last year’s semifinals.

“It’s two teams that are exceptional in the way they function, (how) they adapt and the intensity they play with,” Arteta said. “We’re going to have to be our best version to win it.”

Published – May 29, 2026 12:44 am IST

Joselu of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match between Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on May 8, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

After yet another magical night at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Real Madrid is back in the Champions League final.

The 14-time European champion pulled off another thrilling comeback on Wednesday, rallying to defeat Bayern Munich 2-1 and reach the final for the second time in three seasons.

Like it happened so many times in 2022, Madrid needed some late drama to advance.

Joselu scored in the 88th minute and then in stoppage time as Madrid advanced 4-3 on aggregate to set up a final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 in London.

“Well, it has happened again what has happened so many times before,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “It’s inexplicable. Fans who push us on, a fantastic stadium, players who never stop believing — it’s simply something magical.” Bayern had taken the lead on an Alphonso Davies goal in the 68th — and then deep in stoppage time thought it had equalized but hadn’t because of an offside call that Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel described as “disastrous” and “against the rules.”

Joselu’s first goal was a tap in after Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer spilled an easy save. The second was initially called off for offside but was eventually allowed after video review.

“You always dream of being part of moments like this,” the 34-year-old Joselu said. “Not even my best dreams were as good as this.”

It will be Madrid’s record-extending 18th European Cup final, and ninth in the Champions League era, also a record. Madrid beat Liverpool when it last made it to the final in 2022, a season marked by several late comebacks like that one it pulled off on Wednesday.

Madrid at the time pulled off thrilling comebacks at the Bernabeu against Manchester City in the semifinals, Chelsea in the quarterfinals and Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.

Six-time European champion Bayern was looking to return to the final for the first time since winning the competition in 2019-20. The loss meant there will be no rematch of the all-German final in 2013, when Bayern beat Dortmund to win its fifth European title.

“It hurts. It’ll take a while to recover, but on the one hand it’s a loss where we left it all out on the pitch,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said. “Of course, it’s tough to accept. It’s part of reality. No regrets.”

Dortmund, the 1997 European champion, eliminated Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on aggregate on Tuesday.

It was a mostly even match but Madrid created the most significant scoring chances. But it had not been able to get past what was a terrific performance by Neuer, who had made a series of difficult saves to keep Bayern in the match.

But the German international faltered in the final minutes, dropping an easy ball after a shot by Vinícius Júnior and allowing Joselu — who came off the bench in the 81st — to equalize from in front of the goal.

“Manu, who had been exceptional in saving us all night, made a mistake he wouldn’t make in another 100 years,” Tuchel said.

Neuer said “anyone who’s ever played football knows how I’m feeling right now.”

“That we’ve been knocked out in the closing stages, having led 1-0 until the 85th minute, it’s extremely bitter,” he said. “We’d taken one step to London, we saw ourselves in the final and now I’m lost for words.”

Joselu, a German-born striker, then gave Madrid the lead a minute into stoppage time after a cross by Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger off the left side.

The linesman initially raised the flag for offside, and it took a few moments before Madrid players and the crowd at the Bernabeu could celebrate the winner.

Bayern loudly complained at the end after a goal by Matthijs de Ligt didn’t count because the referee blew the whistle for offside without letting the play be completed.

De Ligt said the linesman apologized to him, saying he “made a mistake” for raising the flag without letting the play continue.

Davies, who had entered the match in the 27th to replace the injured Serge Gnabry, had given Bayern the lead by beating Rüdiger in a one-on-one situation, cutting back toward the middle of the area before firing a right-footed shot into the far corner past Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

Madrid thought it had equalized a couple of minutes later but the goal was called off after video review because of a foul by defender Nacho Fernández on Joshua Kimmich.

Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain looks dejected as Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund celebrates victory with teammates after Borussia Dortmund defeat Paris Saint-Germain during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg on May 7, 2024 in Paris, France.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Borussia Dortmund showed great composure to reach their third Champions League final after Mats Hummels’ second-half goal earned the visitors a 1-0 victory against misfiring Paris St Germain for a deserved 2-0 aggregate win on Tuesday.

Hummels headed home from a corner five minutes into the second half to send the Germans, who won the title in 1997, into their first final in Europe’s top club competition since 2013.

They will meet either 14-times champions Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, who clash at the Bernabeu on Wednesday after a 2-2 draw in the first leg, in the June 1 showdown at Wembley.

PSG hit the woodwork four times but failed to find the net as Kylian Mbappe, who is widely expected to leave the club at the end of the season, was a shadow of his usual brilliant self.

PSG, who entered the tie as favourites to reach their second final after they finished runners-up in 2020, made an aggressive start and Mbappe had their first chance in the seventh minute with a half-volley as the hosts piled on the pressure.

With Mbappe on the left flank and Goncalo Ramos as a lone striker, the France forward had some space out wide and the possibility to cut in and threaten the Dortmund goal.

The visitors, however, were composed and held firm. Their confidence grew and they had their first opportunity through Julian Ryerson, whose shot hit the side netting.

Dortmund had a better chance in the 35th when, after a sharp counter attack following a woeful Mbappe miss, Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off a brilliant save to deny Karim Adeyemi.

PSG were lucky the score on the night was level at halftime.

Luis Enrique’s side stepped up a gear after the break with Warren Zaire Emery’s shot hitting the outside of the post after Mbappe’s attempt was deflected into his path by Ramos.

But Dortmund were more clinical as Hummels headed home from a corner five minutes after the interval to double the German side’s advantage over the two legs.

Ramos’s shot on the turn then went just over and Nuno Mendes’s 25-metre missile hit the post as PSG reacted swiftly.

Another Mbappe attempt was deflected onto the bar before Vitinha’s powerful shot also hit the woodwork.

PSG’s Ousmane Dembele was a constant threat after the hour mark but, just like the rest of the team, the France forward came more into the game far too late against a side who never lost their composure and fully deserve their place in the final.