In Munich’s regal Odeonsplatz, preparations are underway for a fan zone expected to welcome around 40,000 Inter supporters ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final. Though fewer than half will actually attend the match at Allianz Arena, the atmosphere promises to be electric as Inter faces Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in a contest that could crown Inter European champions for the first time since 2010.
While FIFA president Gianni Infantino is unlikely to be caught up in the fanfare, his support for Inter is well known. He is expected to watch the game from the VIP seats, possibly seeing it as an opportunity to ease tensions between football’s two major governing bodies, UEFA and FIFA. With some UEFA officials known to support Inter, this final offers a rare chance for both organizations to find some common ground amid their ongoing power struggle.
Relations have cooled somewhat since earlier this month, when several European delegates walked out of the FIFA congress in protest over Infantino’s prioritization of meetings in the Middle East. UEFA’s conciliatory statement helped smooth the situation publicly, but behind the scenes, the rift remains, and the upcoming summer is expected to intensify the battle for control over the future of top-level football.
For UEFA, staging a spectacular final in Munich is crucial. FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup, Infantino’s highly contentious project, will kick off in two weeks, and UEFA is eager to assert its dominance with the Champions League as football’s premier competition. Interestingly, Inter and PSG could face off again in the Club World Cup final, as they are on opposite sides of the draw, making a repeat showdown plausible. However, delivering a memorable final in Munich would reinforce UEFA’s claim that, despite updates, the traditional European trophies still carry the most prestige.
At the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, where UEFA’s entourage is headquartered for the weekend, mannequins don replica shirts bearing the names of Inter’s Lautaro Martínez and PSG’s Marquinhos, perhaps highlighting a key challenge: the absence of a global superstar to attract casual fans. While this might temper some commercial appeal, the match itself promises to be tightly contested, with PSG’s fluid attacking style pitted against Inter’s lethal counterattacking.
The event’s pre-match entertainment, featuring Linkin Park, aims to engage younger audiences, aligning with European Club Association (ECA) chair Nasser al-Khelaifi’s vision of making the Champions League final an occasion comparable to the Super Bowl in spectacle and glamour. Khelaifi, who also runs PSG, is a powerful figure in football, often described as the sport’s kingmaker. The ECA’s backing of FIFA’s Club World Cup is strong, with staff dedicated to preparing the tournament, but their joint commercial venture with UEFA, UC3, promises to boost the Champions League’s reach, especially in North America. This raises the question: which competition will ultimately deliver the global celebration Khelaifi envisions?
UEFA is confident that the Champions League’s recent format changes have been successful. The expanded 36-team “league phase” has received praise from insiders, even if the first edition did not fully deliver on the promised drama and tension. Some minor tweaks may be implemented based on feedback, such as potentially giving clubs finishing higher in the league phase the advantage of hosting the second leg of knockout ties to encourage stronger performances early on. However, no major structural overhaul is expected.
Next season, with six English teams qualified, the Champions League will feature a heavy concentration of clubs from England, Germany, Spain, and Italy. Nineteen of the 36 teams will hail from these countries, raising questions about diversity and representation. Essentially, a de facto Super League exists within the current format, but stakeholders gathered in Munich seem unbothered by this, focusing instead on the strength and quality these teams bring.
As the city prepares for a radiant weekend, PSG supporters will gather in their designated area at Königsplatz, not far from Odeonsplatz. Security will remain vigilant given the passionate fanbases in close proximity. Nasser al-Khelaifi appears confident and unruffled ahead of the match, dismissing any talk of nerves.
The final is poised to be a thrilling, closely fought encounter. While Infantino and some UEFA officials may celebrate the night’s outcome, it is clear that the ongoing disputes between the football powerbrokers will continue to simmer beneath the surface, even in the Bavarian sunshine.
