Real Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final this Saturday.
Should Madrid win, they will secure a double, having won La Liga for a 36th time. Borussia Dortmund finished fifth in the Bundesliga. The German side were also beaten in the round-of-16 in the German Cup.
Real Madrid have won more European Cups than any club, 14 times, while Dortmund were winners in 1997 when Lars Ricken’s famous chip from distance helped them beat Juventus.
New security arrangements at Wembley will be put to the test, with millions of pounds spent to avoid a repeat of the mayhem that surrounded the Euro 2020 final.
What happened in the Champions League semi-finals?
In the semi-final between Madrid and Bayern Munich, Joselu came off the substitute’s bench to score twice to end Bayern’s hopes of winning a seventh European Cup.
Borussia Dortmund secured their place when Mats Hummels scored the only goal of their second leg, securing a 2-0 aggregate win over Paris St-Germain.
First leg: Bayern Munich 2 Real Madrid 2
First leg: Borussia Dortmund 1 PSG 0
Second leg: PSG 0 Borussia Dortmund 1; agg 0-2
Second leg: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1; agg 4-3
When is the Champions League final?
This year’s Champions League final is on Saturday, June 1. Kick-off is 8pm (BST).
What channel is it being shown on TV in the UK?
TNT Sports have the UK rights to the Champions League and will be showing the final.
Viewers in the UK will be able to watch for free on discovery+, which is available via an app or on a smart TV. You will, however, have to register for an account. EE customers and Sky customers can also get discovery+ as part of their package.
Where is it being held?
The 2024 Champions League final is being held at Wembley Stadium in London.
The European Cup final returns to the famous venue for a record eighth time, and the third in the Champions League era following the 2011 and 2013 finals.
Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in an all-German affair in 2013, while in 2011 Manchester United lost 3-1 to a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona.
A young Pep Guardiola helped Barcelona win the 1992 European Cup final at the old Wembley in a 1-0 victory over Sampdoria.
Hosting the showpiece match at Wembley will also be an opportunity for English football to put the disgrace of the Euro 2020 final at the same venue behind it.
How can I watch in the US?
In the United States, the Champions League is shown on CBS and CBS Sports Network.
How to buy tickets for the final
Good luck. But theoretically you can still apply to buy hospitality tickets for the final on Uefa’s official ticket website.
Who are the current champions?
Manchester City won the Champions League last season, beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final, to complete a Treble. City were knocked out by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals this year.
Latest news
FA promises no repeat of 2021 mayhem as it beefs up Wembley security
Multi-million pound security improvements at Wembley since mayhem at Euro 2020 will be put to the test at Saturday’s Champions League final.
The Football Association has invested £5 million on measures including extra closed-circuit TV, reinforced doors, more fencing and a new “Zone X” control room.
Chris Bryant, the FA’s director of tournaments and events, recognised “a lot of people” will be thinking of 2021 as he promised such scenes will be avoided this time. “We are doing all we can to ensure fans have a smooth arrival process and nice experience as they come to the stadium,” he said of a co-ordinated plan, which includes the now regular drinking ban on Wembley Way.
An independent review by Baroness Casey identified more than 20 “near-misses” that could have resulted in serious injury or death as a result of ticketless individuals trying to gain entry, and in some cases succeeding, for the England v Italy match in July 2021.
In a briefing at the stadium ahead of the final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, Bryant said it is “obviously incumbent upon us to ensure that we’ve learned the lessons and implemented additional measures”.
A “robust and comprehensive testing plan” regarding digital ticketing and checks were in action at the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals. The governing body has also pumped money into increased cameras and additional lock systems to doors and gates.
Entrance to the stadium will be allowed four hours before kick-off instead of two, and Transport for London will run extra services to aid the flow of supporters to and from the ground.
Bryant acknowledged the steward supply at the Euro 2020 final was at a low point off the back of the coronavirus pandemic, and said Saturday’s match would see “the highest ever stewarding deployment in Wembley Stadium history”.
“One thing in the Euros final was very much the supply of stewarding, which I can say was at a low point off the back of Covid,” he said. “We’re very confident the supply of stewarding which you’ve seen in the industry has bounced back.”
On the investment, Bryant continued: “The investment is spread across a number of areas. We’ve increased the strength of all the doors because at the Euros final people tried to rip the doors. Those doors are locked with a magnetic lock system and we’ve put a further lock system on every door around the stadium.
“We never foresaw events like that for the Euros final and I’m not sure we will again but we’ve learned lessons and additional measures have been implemented.
“We’ve delivered new gates and fences around the stadium. There’s a significant investment in the B2 area under the steps and that provides stability to provide additional security measures, should things happen.
“Also the Zone X control room – we now have a dedicated room with cameras, eyes and ears. We can see what’s happening at (nearby) pubs on camera as much as we can in the stadium and that gives us a much greater understanding of exactly what’s happening out there. We’ve also increased the amount of body-cams stewards wear.”
What is the prize money for the Champions League?
The winner of the final will receive €20 million (£17.1 million) from Uefa. However, with the accumulative prize money on offer as a team progresses through the tournament, the winner could net up to €85.14 million (£72.69 million), depending on their results. Last year Man City earned around £85 million for winning the trophy for the first time.
Who have won the most European Cups?
Real Madrid have won the European Cup the most times (14), AC Milan (7) are second, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich tied for third with six wins. Barcelona have five wins, Ajax have four, Manchester United and Inter Milan have three apiece, while five teams have won it twice: Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Juventus, Benfica and Porto. Ten teams have won the title once: Man City, Aston Villa, Celtic,Borussia Dortmund, Hamburg,Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille, Red Star Belgrade and Steaua Bucharest.
What are the latest odds?
- Borussia Dortmund: 15/4
- Real Madrid: 13/20
- Draw: 16/5
Odds correct as of May 28
