Real Madrid face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium tonight.
Los Blancos can win a 15th European crown, following a dramatic semi-final win over Bayern Munich, while BVB are bidding to win a second title on arguably the biggest stage in club football after upsetting Kylian Mbappe and PSG in the final four.
Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham are among the candidates for this year’s Ballon d’Or, knowing a win here paired with a fine performance could tip the balance their way ahead of Euro 2024 and the Copa America this summer.
While both teams have harnessed variety in their path to the final, relying on, at times, traditional No 9s in the shape of Joselu and Niclas Fullkrug.
In the dugout, Carlo Ancelotti can claim a fifth Champions League as a coach, with Edin Terzić looking to complete a famous journey from the Yellow Wall to the very top of European football with his boyhood club. Follow all the build-up, team news and latest updates from Wembley below:
Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund: Champions League final 2023/24
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Real Madrid have fashioned a world to suit themselves – but is it harming the rest of football?
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Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos; Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vini Jr.
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Borussia Dortmund XI: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Emre Can, Sabitzer; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Fullkrug
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23 mins: POST! Fullkrug hits the woodwork after being sent through by Maatsen [RMA 0-0 BVB]
BV Borussia 09 Dortmund 0 – 0 Real Madrid CF
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
21:12 , Chris Wilson
49 mins: Kroos goes for the shot rather than the clipped ball in, and it’s a lovely curling effort. Kobel makes a good save though.
From the corner, Carvajal meets the cross at the near post but he puts his header over the bar.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
21:10 , Chris Wilson
47 mins: Vini Jr. gets the first chance to really stretch his legs as he wins it from the Dortmund corner and knocks it past Sancho. The Brazilian has no support though, and he does well to win a free-kick in a dangerous area.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
21:09 , Chris Wilson
46 mins: Real begin the half with possession but there’s nothing threatening.
Dortmund counter and Sabitzer finds Sancho on the opposite wing. He plays it through to Ryerson, who wins a corner.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
21:07 , Chris Wilson
45 mins: Real get the second half started. You’d think they’ll have received a calm, collected Italian version of the hairdryer treatment in that break.
HT: Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
21:06 , Chris Wilson
The teams are back in the tunnel. Whatever happens here, Dortmund need to avoid the same mistakes that Bayern made in the semi-finals if they do go ahead.
Taking off attacking players and sitting back is not a gamble you necessarily want to take against this Real side.
We’ll be back underway imminently, with no changes at half-time.
HT: Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
21:04 , Chris Wilson
It could still come to pass, but so far there’s nothing to suggest we’ll have the one-sided result that many predicted. Dortmund have been the better side, but there’s a sense that Madrid simply have just not got running yet.
Bellingham and Vini Jr. have been fairly anonymous so far, with Brandt and Adeyemi having stolen the show.
The introduction of Joselu soon wouldn’t be a surprise, as Real are lacking the cohesion in attack that a central attacking player could bring.
20:59 , Chris Wilson
HT: Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:55 , Chris Wilson
An enthralling half between two good sides.
Dortmund were unfancied by the majority, but they’ve put in an impressive performance and have had by far the better chances. They should really be 1-0 up.
But Madrid and Ancelotti won’t be panicking. They’ve been here many times before, but they’ll need something more from their various stars.
HALF-TIME! Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:51 , Chris Wilson
48 mins: HALF-TIME!
The corner is cleared but Dortmund win another straight away. Brandt takes again for what will likely be the last kick of the half, and Valverde clears.
The referee brings an entertaining half to an end.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:50 , Chris Wilson
47 mins: Bellingham pops up on the right but loses it far too easily to Schlotterbeck. Dortmund counter but Ryerson loses it before Brandt wins it back.
Dortmund work it again, and Adeyemi’s cross ends up going out for a corner.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:49 , Chris Wilson
46 mins: Real look calm as the half comes to an end, but they seem to be missing a focal point. There’s an awful lot of space in central areas when they attack, and it’s all being filled by yellow shirts.
Rodrygo is dropping in from time to time, but Hummels and Schlotterbeck won’t mind that for now.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:47 , Jack Rathborn
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:47 , Chris Wilson
45 mins: Ancelotti does not look happy on the sidelines. Edin Terzic doesn’t either, but he’ll be the happier of the two.
Four minutes of added time here.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:46 , Chris Wilson
43 mins: Hummels wins another battle with Vini Jr. as the Brazilian looked to skip into the box, but the German centre-back gets a throw-in from a sliding tackle.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:45 , Chris Wilson
42 mins: Lovely from Sancho as he collects it on the right wing with his back to goal and skips past Kroos, but his cross is cleared.
Sabitzer is the latest to be booked for over-protesting after Real are awarded a free-kick.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:43 , Chris Wilson
41 mins: Brandt finds himself on the left wing, and he cuts outside and squares it to Sabitzer. The Austrian has few options so elects to shoot from distance, forcing Courtois into a straightforward save down to his right.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:42 , Chris Wilson
39 mins: Camavinga is the latest Madrid player to clear a dangerous cross, this one from Ryerson.
Madrid try and counter and Hummels brings down Vini Jr. – strangely, Schlotterbeck is booked for remonstrating with the referee.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:40 , Chris Wilson
37 mins: Madrid have had more possession but the best chances have all fallen to the German side. Vini Jr. Bellingham and Rodrygo have been quiet so far.
Their latest foray forward ends in Adeyemi knocking the ball out for a goal kick off Carvajal.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:38 , Chris Wilson
35 mins: Exceptionally harsh on Vini Jr. there, and he’ll have to be careful now.
A little bit of calm now after a frantic 10 minutes or so. Madrid are pressing high as they hope to force a Dortmund mistake in their third.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:36 , Chris Wilson
34 mins: Rodrygo combines well with Carvajal and valverde, but the Spaniard eventually ruins the move with a heavy touch.
Right after, Vini Jr. is the first player to be booked after he’s late with a sliding challenge on Kobel, who’d taken too much time on the ball when letting it run across him.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:35 , Chris Wilson
31 mins: Dortmund have certainly grown into the game, but might they regret not taking their chances?
On second look, that Fullkrug chance looked like it was offside, but the German fans will take a lot of encouragement from their side’s opening stages.
The German side attack again and Ryerson and Sancho combine down the left, but Mendy is fouled as he tried to win the ball.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:34 , Jack Rathborn
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:32 , Chris Wilson
29 mins: Carvajal wins a corner and Kroos will take.
Brandt gets the touch to clear, and Dortmund counter. Sancho plays it across to Brandt, who tries to slip it in to Adeyemi, but Mendy does well to nudge him off the ball.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:30 , Chris Wilson
27 mins: CLOSE! Chances for both sides!
Firstly, Vini Jr. beats Ryerson before swinging in the early cross, but Dortmund clear.
The German side break and Brandt slides the through ball into the path of Adeyemi, who’s got behind the Real defence and has the pace. He fires his shot too close to Courtois, and Fullkrug can’t get the right connection with his rebound header!
20:29 , Chris Wilson
Inches away from Fullkrug.
Emre Can is back up now.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:27 , Chris Wilson
25 mins: A moment of calm in the game, but some worry for Dortmund. Emre Can is down briefly.
The German gets up but he’s walking gingerly.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:27 , Chris Wilson
23 mins: CLOSE! Real are living a charmed life!
Two chances in quick succession for Dortmund. First, Sancho slips through Sabitzer, who cuts a cross back across goal which Adeyemi is inches away from meeting.
Right after, Sancho slides a pass through to Fullkrug, who breaks into the box and just manages to poke a shot past Courtois, but it comes off the inside of the post!
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Pitch invaders halt Champions League final
20:24 , Chris Wilson
20 mins: CLOSE! So close to the opener for Dortmund!
Karim Adeyemi times his run perfectly to latch on to a through ball, and he’s one-on-one with Courtois. He knocks it past the Belgian but his touch was too heavy, he’s dragged it too wide, and he can’t get the shot on target!
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Pitch invaders halt Champions League final
20:23 , Chris Wilson
20 mins: Carvajal gets in behind the Dortmund defence and swings a cross in, but Bellingham can’t get to it.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Pitch invaders halt Champions League final
20:22 , Chris Wilson
Those pitch invaders earlier don’t seem to have been protesting.
a man wearing a white T-shirt and shorts ran on before being ushered off the field near the halfway line, while another in a dark T-shirt took a selfie with Madrid Brazilian star Vinicius Jr. A moment later, another man rushed on to the field, eluding security for almost a minute before being tackled to the ground.
Pitch invaders halt Champions League final at Wembley Stadium
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:21 , Chris Wilson
18 mins: Real more assured in possession at the moment, with Dortmund picking and choosing their moment to press high.
Bellingham wins a free-kick and Madrid retain possession, with the German side willing to let them have it in the middle of the park.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:20 , Chris Wilson
18 mins: Real more assured in possession at the moment, with Dortmund picking and choosing their moment to press high.
Bellingham wins a free-kick and Madrid retain possession, with the German side willing to let them have it in the middle of the park.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:18 , Chris Wilson
15 mins: Now Real have a chance as Vini Jr. fires wide, before Kroos plays an uncharacteristically off-target pass that rolls to Kobel.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:16 , Chris Wilson
14 mins: Route one from Dortmund – Fullkrug takes the ball down well from a lobbed pass over the top, and lays it back to the onrushing Julian Brandt. The midfielder gets his shot away but it rolls past the far post.
First big chance of the night!
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:15 , Chris Wilson
13 mins: Hummels wins the first battle against Vini Jr., with Dortmund doubling up on the Brazilian winger.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:14 , Chris Wilson
11 mins: Kroos’ diagonal reaches Carvajal, who exchanges passes with Valverde. The Uruguayan then chooses the one-two with Bellingham before firing a shot over from outside the box.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:12 , Chris Wilson
9 mins: Dortmund’s high line is almost exposed as Bellingham wins another long ball, but Camavinga can’t quite get it under control.
Valverde wants a free-kick in a dangerous area after colliding with Schlotterbeck, but the referee was wise to it.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:11 , Chris Wilson
8 mins: Both teams feeling their way into it at the moment – no one trying to force the issue or taking the risk in attack yet.
Bellingham flicks it on from Rudiger’s pass but it runs harmlessly to Kobel.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:09 , Chris Wilson
6 mins: Brandt’s corner is headed on but Kroos is there to clear.
Madrid try to counter but Ryerson does well to dispossess Vini Jr., and Dortmund have the ball once again.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:08 , Jack Rathborn
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:08 , Chris Wilson
5 mins: Space on the left for Sabitzer, but he can’t find Fullkrug with his cross. Soon after, Mendy turns it behind for Dortmund’s first corner.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:07 , Chris Wilson
3 mins: Calm from Rudiger and Courtois to play it out from the back. Vini Jr. plays the diagonal before Carvajal loses it to Maatsen, who prevents the corner.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:05 , Chris Wilson
2 mins: It was three pitch invaders who stopped play, apparently. An interesting start to the game.
We’re back underway though, and Bellingham wins the first free-kick of the night.
Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid – Champions League final
20:03 , Chris Wilson
1 min: A pitch invader within the first minute, and we have a break in play already before anything else can happen.
KICK-OFF! Dortmund 0-0 Real Madrid
20:02 , Chris Wilson
Dortmund get us underway! Both teams attacking the end that their fans are sitting in during the first half.
Champions League final – Real Madrid v Dortmund
20:00 , Chris Wilson
The anthem plays and we’re moments away from kick-off.
Dortmund unchanged from the side that beat PSG in the semi-finals, while Real Madrid have been forced into bringing in Thibaut Courtois and Eduardo Camavinga for Lunin and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Champions League final – Real Madrid v Dortmund
19:58 , Chris Wilson
Teams in the tunnel now, with both sets of players looking focused.
For some, this is the only chance they’ll get to touch footballing immortality. For others, they’re within hours of winning their sixth Champions League – and almost everything in between.
Nervy times, even if the faces don’t show it.
Champions League final – Real Madrid v Dortmund
19:55 , Chris Wilson
The Lenny Kravitz performance is almost out of the way, so the real show will be starting soon.
Some would say “the game’s gone”.
Champions League final – Real Madrid v Dortmund
19:52 , Chris Wilson
Less than 10 minutes until kick-off in the capital.
A reminder that you can watch the game live on TNT Sports, or stream it on the discovery+ app. You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Is Dortmund v Real Madrid on TV? Time, channel and how to watch UCL final
Jose Mourinho blames Erik ten Hag for Jadon Sancho’s Manchester United failure
19:48 , Chris Wilson
Much of the build-up to the game has focused on the two English starlets, Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho, and their respective seasons.
And speaking on TNT Sports, ex-United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed Erik ten Hag must accept some of the blame for Jadon Sancho’s failure at Manchester United.
“For sure, the kid made mistakes, but for sure, also his manager was not able to get the best out of him,” Mourinho told TNT Sports at Wembley Stadium.
“As a player we know his talent, we know what he can do, there are no doubts about it.”
Mourinho blames Ten Hag for Sancho’s Man Utd failure
19:45 , Chris Wilson
Much is being made of the bouncing Dortmund supporters, some of whom have been in the stadium for hours already.
Tifos, flags and banners aplenty in that end, including a banner referencing the club’s recent sponsorship deal with an arms manufacturer.
In response to the deal, Dortmund’s chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said: “Security and defense are fundamental cornerstones of our democracy. That is why we believe it is the right decision to take a very close look at how we protect these cornerstones.
“Especially today, when we see every day how freedom must be defended in Europe. We should deal with this new normality.”
19:40 , Chris Wilson
These men could all be key tonight.
Champions League final – Real Madrid v Dortmund
19:35 , Chris Wilson
The stage is certainly set.
Will we see Champions League trophy number 15 for Real, or a well-earned second win for one of European football’s cult teams?
Head-to-head
19:25 , Chris Wilson
Dortmund and Real have met 14 times in this competition, with their first match coming in the semi-finals of the 1997/98 edition.
Madrid ran out 2-0 aggregate winners on their way to winning their seventh title (and their first in 32 years).
Perhaps the most famous meeting between the two sides was in the semi-finals of 2012/13, where an unfancied Dortmund side – containing the likes of Lewandowski, Reus and Gotze – caused delirium at the Westfalenstadion when they beat Real 4-1. Dortmund, at the time managed by Jurgen Klopp, reached the final despite a 2-0 loss in the Spanish capital.
Madrid didn’t have to wait long for their revenge though, with a rematch coming in the next season’s quarter-finals. Goals from Ronaldo, Bale and Isco gave Madrid a 3-0 win at the Bernabeu, which they hung on to in the second leg before beating arch-rivals Atletico Madrid in the 2014 final.
Overall, Real Madrid have six wins, Dortmund have three, and five games have ended in a draw.
Real Madrid and the Champions League
19:20 , Chris Wilson
Real Madrid’s social team have taken the opportunity to show off. Here’s a video of some of the highlights of their 14 Champions League wins.
Love them or hate them, there’s some exceptional stories in there, from Zidane’s wonder goal at Hampden Park in 2002 to the Ronaldo-era three-peat.
Real Madrid and the Champions League
19:15 , Chris Wilson
Madrid’s story is an entirely different tale to the German club. The established kings of Europe won the first five iterations of this competition in a row, and have enjoyed a constant stream of the world’s most talented players from 1955 to 2024. From Alfredo di Stefano to Cristiano Ronaldo and now Kylian Mbappe, Europe’s most successful story is destined for more enthralling chapters.
Los Blancos have won the competition 14 times – twice as many as their nearest rivals, AC Milan – and are the world’s most valuable sports team, with yearly revenues around 850m euros. The era of Florentino Perez, which began in the early 2000s, has brought with it unprecedented success and a series of ever-present Galacticos. Though the days of Ronaldo, Benzema and Kroos are coming to an end, we might simply be seeing the dawn of the Mbappe-Bellingham-Vini Jr. era.
But despite their successes and beloved players, recent actions mean the club itself has polarised neutrals outside of the Spanish capital. Perez and Madrid have consistently contributed to the increased monopolisation of the game, having also been at the forefront of the proposed European Super League.
So, as the two sides meet at the home of English football, their past, present and futures couldn’t look more different.
The odds are heavily stacked against Dortmund, but there’ll be plenty of support for the underdogs, as well as from neutral fans of Real’s roster of proven and upcoming superstars.
19:10 , Chris Wilson
Bellingham and the Madrid squad are looking decidedly more dapper than today’s opponents.
Dortmund look very relaxed too though.
19:05 , Chris Wilson
And here’s a highlight of that sole Champions League win in 1997 – a lovely lob from Lars Ricken, who was 20 years old at the time and scored within seconds of coming off the bench!
Borussia Dortmund and the Champions League
18:57 , Chris Wilson
In the modern day, a fierce rivalry with Bayern Munich, widepsread respect for the club’s way of operating and a host of young talent has contributed to the club’s stellar reputation on the continent.
These factors all came together in the 2012/13 season, when Jurgen Klopp’s entertaining team – which contained the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Ilkay Gundogan, World Cup winner Mario Gotze and retiring legend Marco Reus – reached the Champions League final thanks to famous wins over Malaga and Real Madrid.
They met their arch-rivals at Wembley in perhaps the most important Der Klassiker to date, with Arjen Robben giving the Bavarians a 2-1 win.
11 years on, Marco Reus and co. will be hoping to expel the ghosts of 2013 and give their fans decidely different memories of the English capital.
Dortmund line-up
18:55 , Chris Wilson
DORTMUND XI: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Can; Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi; Fullkrug.
SUBS: Meyer, Lotka, Nmecha, Reus, Sule, Ozcan, Haller, Wolf, Moukoko, Malen, Watjen, Bynoe-Gittens.
Borussia Dortmund and the Champions League
18:52 , Chris Wilson
So with all the talk of a potential mismatch, a one-sided final or a general gulf between the two clubs, how do each side’s past compare?
Borussia Dortmund’s domestic and European success has made them comfortably the second biggest club in Germany, with eight German league titles and five DfB Pokal wins.
But their only successful Champions League campaign came in 1996/97, when a team containing Ballon d’Or winner Matthias Sammer and former Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert managed to upset Juventus in Munich.
Dortmund finished fifth in the Bundesliga this season, and with Real Madrid winning LaLiga, it is the biggest gap between the league position of finalists since the foundation of the Champions League in 1992.
Only two previous finals match it: Bayern Munich vs Valencia in 2001 and Bayern vs Chelsea in 2012. First against fifth and second against sixth, respectively.
Champions League final: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
18:46 , Jack Rathborn
It’s a huge night for Jude Bellingham, and his family are here nice and early to soak up the atmosphere before the La Liga player of the year takes to the Wembley turf looking to inspire Real Madrid to a 15th European crown.
Champions League final: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
18:38 , Jack Rathborn
Some fun in the stadium with Dortmund fans, who see Jurgen Klopp on the big screen.
Loud cheers for the former Liverpool and Dortmund boss, who fist pumps when the camera turns to him.
Then the screen shows Jose Mourinho, working for TNT Sports tonight, with loud boos and jeers for the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager.
Champions League final: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
18:29 , Jack Rathborn
Is Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Champions League final
18:20 , Chris Wilson
We’re around 90 minutes from kick-off now, so here’s a reminder of how you can watch the final game of the club season.
The final is taking place at Wembley, with kick-off set for 8pm BST. As with all Uefa matches this season, the match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and can be streamed on the discovery+ app.
You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Below is everything you need to know ahead of the game.
Is Dortmund vs Real Madrid on TV? Time, channel and how to watch UCL final
Why we’ll never see a Champions League final like Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund again
18:15 , Chris Wilson
It may also be the last year of this. From next season’s expanded “Super Champions League”, the knock-out stages will be entirely seeded after the first-round open table. So, while you might well get Real Madrid and Arsenal on the same side of the draw again, it’s unlikely you get all of Madrid, City, Arsenal and Bayern Munich on the same side. Or whoever their equivalents are as the four best teams next season. It’s certainly going to be that bit more difficult for teams who aren’t at that elite level, while representing just another way elite football is curated and engineered.
It is maybe why this final should be relished, in the same way as the Dortmund players are looking at it. If it is to be the last of an era, this match almost represents an extreme. The simple numbers say enough, before you get into bigger issues like finance.
This gap has created a slightly odd build-up to this game for a Champions League final. It doesn’t feel epic, although that obviously won’t be the case for the tens of thousands of Dortmund fans who travel.
Why we’ll never see a Champions League final like Real Madrid-Borussia Dortmund again
Why we’ll never see a Champions League final like Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund again
18:10 , Chris Wilson
As the two Champions League finalists set off for London, the contrasting moods among the squads said enough. For Real Madrid, it’s a sense of duty. There’s excitement about returning to this stage, sure, but also an awareness that this is simply what they do. They go to these games and win them. For Borussia Dortmund, there’s a sense of genuine wonder. Manager Edin Terzic has described it as “a dream”. This is just the third Champions League final in their history and first in 11 years. Many of their players are aware they may never get this chance again.
As rare as this feeling is for Dortmund, though, it actually isn’t that infrequent for this showpiece. The Champions League final may be the biggest global event in club football – and maybe all of sport, after the World Cup final – but it has rarely featured a showdown between the two best teams in Europe. They have tended to come earlier in the knockouts in recent times. The curiosity of that goes back further, through what has been one of the Champions League’s last remaining unpredictabilities. In the 11 years since Dortmund’s last appearance at this stage, there have arguably been six finals where there was one outstanding favourite. This is certainly the second in a row, after Inter Milan’s surprisingly spirited 1-0 defeat to City last season.
Why we’ll never see a Champions League final like Real Madrid-Borussia Dortmund again
18:00 , Chris Wilson
Fans of both clubs have been packing into locations including Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square and , of course, Wembley Way.
Real Madrid have fashioned a world to suit themselves – but is it harming the rest of football?
17:50 , Chris Wilson
This Saturday, Madrid expect to win their 15th Champions League. That would be more than double AC Milan’s seven, the next most successful club, who have been left for dust by the greater winds of football history.
The fear of a similar fate was one of the main factors that drove the Super League in the first place. Perez was scared that the world he had created was growing beyond his control, particularly due to the power of state-owned clubs.
There were more legitimate frustrations with the outcomes of a series of financial fair play cases involving PSG and Manchester City, where the two clubs were perceived as getting off lightly on four different occasions. The Super League was fundamentally an attempt to co-opt and control the state-owned clubs, but one that is now widely viewed as “an act of desperation” rather than power. It duly ended in humiliating defeat.
That emotion didn’t last, and that wasn’t only because Perez is so brazen he doesn’t feel embarrassment. Madrid have instead turned that desperate defeat into a position of maximum strength.
Real Madrid have fashioned a world to suit themselves – but is it harming football?
Champions League final: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
17:43 , Jack Rathborn
Real Madrid have fashioned a world to suit themselves – but is it harming the rest of football?
17:40 , Chris Wilson
Florentino Perez couldn’t have it any other way. On Monday, after a Spanish court gave the latest ruling on the Super League case, those in the Real Madrid president’s circle were very quick to insist to everyone that the judgment actually represented a victory for the project. This was despite virtually every legal expert considering the outcome meaningless.
Uefa currently sees no real threat from this iteration of the Super League. You just wouldn’t have guessed that from the response in Spain, where it was roundly portrayed as yet another victory for Perez. This is what he has become used to, his ambitions almost willed into existence.
You only have to look at European football’s current landscape, one that now looks set to be dominated by Real Madrid for a decade. It makes it all the more of a wonder why Perez is seeking to destroy it through the Super League.
Real Madrid have fashioned a world to suit themselves – but is it harming football?
Real Madrid team news
17:32 , Chris Wilson
Carlo Ancelotti has made two changes to the team that completed the dramatic turnaround against Bayern in the Spanish capital last month.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois replaces Andriy Lunin, who had played every knockout game up to this point, but travelled to London separate to the rest of the squad after a bout of illness.
Aurelien Tchouameni – who was expected to miss the game entirely, but is on the bench – is replaced in midfield by compatriot Eduardo Camavinga.
David Alaba is also on the bench, along with Luka Modric, Eder Militao and semi-final hero Joselu.
Real Madrid line-up announced
17:23 , Chris Wilson
As they tend to do on European nights, Real Madrid have announced their starting XI for this evening.
REAL MADRID XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos; Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vini Jr.
SUBS: Lunin, Kepa, Militao, Alaba, Modric, Joselu, Lucas Vasquez, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Fran Garcia, Brahim, Arda Guler.
Borussia Dortmund are the anti-establishment – can they be saviours of the Champions League?
17:20 , Chris Wilson
As Borussia Dortmund prepare for their biggest European game in 11 years, they’re also thinking about next year. There is increasing talk around the club about bringing former manager Jurgen Klopp back as head of football in 2025.
For some at Dortmund, this is the inevitable end point of a long period harking back to the 2010-13 glory era, with the club constantly rehiring familiar figures. This isn’t necessarily seen as a good thing, either. There is a strong argument it has prevented the club from progressing. They don’t even have a truly great young talent they can sell on right now, a policy that has sustained the club in past seasons.
It does still play into a vision that was created from that period, that frames this entire Champions League campaign. That spell saw Dortmund cast as a model for how to do football right. They had gone toe to toe with far wealthier rivals through emotionally stirring play, all fired by a raucous fanbase who were members of the club.
Such lasting qualities have now afforded them another status as the Champions League nears its climax. They are being cast as the potential “saviours” of the competition.
Can Borussia Dortmund be the saviours of the Champions League?
Prediction & Odds
17:05 , Chris Wilson
BVB need to score first if they hope to cause an upset – but the firepower in the Spanish side’s ranks is simply too much to hold at bay. Real Madrid to be celebrating once more. Real Madrid 3-1 Borussia Dortmund.
Odds
Dortmund win 9/2
Draw 10/3
Real Madrid 11/17
Predicted line-ups
16:55 , Chris Wilson
BVB – Kobel, Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen, Can, Sabitzer, Sancho, Brandt, Adeyemi, Fullkrug.
RMA – Courtois, Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy, Camavinga, Valverde, Kroos, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr.
Early Real Madrid team news
16:45 , Chris Wilson
Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba are both out for Real Madrid, meaning Nacho should start at centre-back as captain.
The only real other issue for Carlo Ancelotti was to decide between his goalkeepers; Andriy Lunin has been playing most of the season but was ill in midweek, while regular No1 Thibaut Courtois has missed the campaign with an ACL injury but returned last week.
Yesterday, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Courtois was given the nod to start.
Expect the Los Blancos XI to look very similar to that of the semi-finals, with Nacho Fernandez partnering Rudiger in central defence and Camavinga coming in to replace the injured Tchouameni.
Early Dortmund team news
16:35 , Chris Wilson
For the German side, there are doubts over striker Sebastien Haller and full-back Mateu Morey, though it was unlikely either would start anyway. Ramy Benebaini is the only guaranteed absentee.
The team is likely to be similar to that from the semis, with Niclas Fullkrug leading the attack and Julian Brandt behind him.
Vinicius Jr can win two trophies in one Champions League final – the Ballon d’Or awaits
16:25 , Chris Wilson
A Ballon d’Or frontrunner now, Vinicius may be more likely to secure Uefa’s player of the year award, where excellence in European club football is recognised. But, and while there is no official prize for it, he has sustained excellence for longer. He could win his second Champions League on Saturday. Over a three-year period, he has arguably been the best player in the best competition; not in every season, but as a cumulative body of work.
But if 2021-22 was Benzema’s annus mirabilis, with the Frenchman’s 15 goals powering many a Real comeback, it was Vinicius who delivered the winner in the final. If 2022-23 was Manchester City’s year, Vinicius’ brilliance remained a constant. This season, his semi-final double – man of the match in each leg – could lead to a hat-trick if he produces a similarly dominant display against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
And big-game brilliance forms part of the case for Vinicius. Some of it lies in the numbers: not quite in the way it did for Messi and Ronaldo over a decade and more, or Benzema in a wonderful year, but as an illustration of his impact, to support the evidence of the naked eye.
But the numbers matter less than his propensity to excel where Real players are judged: in the knockout stages. In 2021-22, the Brazilian played a part in all three goals in the 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain, set up Benzema’s decider in the quarter-final, ran from his own half to score in the 4-3 semi-final defeat to City and then delivered the final’s one goal.
In the current campaign, Vinicius set up two goals in the 3-3 draw with City, when he was arguably the best player on the pitch; he scored two against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena.
Why Vinicius Jr can win two trophies in one Champions League final
Vinicius Jr can win two trophies in one Champions League final – the Ballon d’Or awaits
16:15 , Chris Wilson
From outgoing legends to a budding legend who is just getting started.
The description many another would apply to Jude Bellingham is one he bestows upon a teammate. “The best in the world,” he said of Vinicius Jr in May. Carlo Ancelotti agrees.
And if the Brazilian could prove a more controversial choice again next season, when Kylian Mbappe will surely be added to the list of Real’s candidates, for now Vinicius is the 21st-century boy who could finally deliver the Ballon d’Or to the next generation.
Which, as the last 15 have been won by players born in either 1985 (in Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric) or 1987 (Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema), would represent a changing of the guard. And if Vinicius is not the eventual winner, it may be because Euro 2024 allows someone else – potentially Mbappe or Bellingham – to seize the limelight, though Brazil have their own summer tournament at the Copa America.
Why Vinicius Jr can win two trophies in one Champions League final
Champions League talking points – Auf wiedersehen to German pair
16:00 , Chris Wilson
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos will bid farewell to Los Blancos after 10 years with the club.
The Germany international, who will retire following this summer’s European Championship in his homeland, has already won the Champions League four times with Real, as well as once with Bayern Munich.
The Germany international has won over a century of caps for his country and, having initially retired from national team action in mid-2021, returned at the request of Julian Nagelsmann earlier this year. He is set to play a central role for Germany when they host the European Championship.
Borussia Dortmund legend Marco Reus will play his final game for his beloved team tonight after a 12-year stay at the club.
The 34-year-old attacking midfielder, who was part of the Dortmund team beaten by Bayern in the all-German 2013 final at Wembley, is a firm fan-favourite after helping the team to two German cup wins in his time at the Westfalenstadion.
Bellingham v Sancho and German pair bow out – Champions League talking points
Bellingham v Sancho and German pair bow out – Champions League final talking points
15:45 , Chris Wilson
As you’d expect from a European Cup final, tonight’s game will include some of the world’s most in-form players, upcoming stars, cult heroes and departing club legends.
Such players provide plenty of talking points, with a lot of focus on a pair of Englishmen who’ve had vastly different seasons.
Real midfielder Bellingham is poised for arguably the biggest occasion of his club career – against his former side and at the home of English football. Fresh off winning the LaLiga player of the season award, he’ll be hoping to stake his claim towards a potential Ballon d’Or with a commanding performance tonight.
Meanwhile in Dortmund, on-loan Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho returns to Wembley, where he missed one of England’s penalties in their Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat to Italy, with plenty to prove.
The 24-year-old forward has been capped just once by Gareth Southgate since but is back playing regularly following his January loan switch from Old Trafford, and will hope to return to Manchester with the most coveted prize in club football.
Bellingham v Sancho and German pair bow out – Champions League talking points
Is Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Champions League final
15:30 , Chris Wilson
We’re just under five hours from kick-off now, so here’s a reminder of how you can watch club football’s showpiece event.
The game takes place at Wembley on Saturday 1 June 2024, with kick-off set for 8pm BST. As with all Uefa matches this season, the match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and can be streamed on the discovery+ app.
You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Below is everything you need to know ahead of the game.
Is Dortmund vs Real Madrid on TV? Time, channel and how to watch UCL final
Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
15:14 , Sonia Twigg
The fans have already started to gather around Wembley Stadium ahead of kick off, and elsewhere around London:
Spain seizes 11 tons of fake Champions League and Euro tops
14:59 , Lawrence Ostlere
Spanish police have seized 11 metric tonnes of fake jerseys to be sold in Spain in the run-up to Saturday’s Champions League final in London between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund and the Euro 2024 in Germany next month.
A search of 15 heavy lorries had produced the haul of jerseys along with other fake products such as luxury watches, leather goods and electronics, with an estimated market value of more than six million euros, according to a statement on Friday.
The investigation started in April, when two tonnes of counterfeit shirts of Spanish football clubs sent from China were seized.
Police found out that a large shipment was bound for Spain before the Champions League final and the Euro finals, and set up a sting operation involving more than 20 agents.
They seized more than 36,500 fake sports kits of several Spanish and European soccer clubs emblazoned with names of top footballers such as Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, France’s Kylian Mbappe, and a number of Spanish stars.
The counterfeits were intended for several organisations based in Spain that were planning to distribute them through street commerce and online.
The improbable inspirations behind Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund – and why they’re back in fashion
14:44 , Lawrence Ostlere
Joselu and Niclas Fullkrug will offer a different threat at Wembley in the Champions League final with old-fashioned forwards thriving again, writes Richard Jolly:
It is only two years since Real Madrid were last in a Champions League final. Joselu was there; as a supporter, not a substitute. Then the centre-forward they faced was Sadio Mane, who finished second in the Ballon d’Or that year. Now it will be Niclas Fullkrug, who was a second-division footballer then. A fine one, admittedly; he had helped Werder Bremen to promotion but he wasn’t even their top scorer. That mantle rested with Marvin Ducksch.
Two years on, Joselu and Fullkrug are the premier centre-forwards for the Champions League finalists. In the Spaniard’s case, and as Real Madrid start without a specialist striker, it makes him Plan B. But Fullkrug could play the full game for Borussia Dortmund. Each was a semi-final hero: Fullkrug getting the first-leg winner against Paris Saint-Germain, Joselu the dramatic late brace against Bayern Munich.
Read more:
The improbable inspirations behind Real Madrid and Dortmund
Thibaut Courtois in pole position to win battle for the gloves
14:31 , Lawrence Ostlere
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti may not have such a tough decision to make after all when it comes to picking a goalkeeper for this Champions League final.
Much of the pre-game talk has centered around whether Ancelotti will go with Andriy Lunin — who has played for most of the season and led the team to the final — or Thibaut Courtois, the veteran who has recently returned from a long-term knee injury.
Now Lunin is reportedly sick with the flu and said in a post on social media late on Thursday that he won’t “be able to prepare” for the final against Borussia Dortmund.
“I am very sad to say that I won’t be able to prepare for the most important game of the season and the most important game of my life with my team,” Lunin wrote on Instagram. “Many thanks for the messages of support and encouragement!”
Coach Ancelotti said on Monday that Lunin was running a fever and was unable to practice with his teammates. Lunin stayed in the Spanish capital while Madrid’s team flew to London on Friday. The club said that he would join the team on Saturday, hours before the game at Wembley Stadium.
Neither the player nor the club have publicly ruled out the possibility of him playing, but his illness could provide an opportunity for Courtois to end his season on a remarkable high after being sidelined for most of the campaign.
Real Madrid have fashioned a world to suit themselves – but is it harming the rest of football?
14:14 , Lawrence Ostlere
Only Borussia Dortmund stand between Los Blancos extending their own European Cup record, writes Miguel Delaney. But is their domination good for football?
Florentino Perez couldn’t have it any other way. On Monday, after a Spanish court gave the latest ruling on the Super League case, those in the Real Madrid president’s circle were very quick to insist to everyone that the judgment actually represented a victory for the project. This was despite virtually every legal expert considering the outcome meaningless.
Uefa currently sees no real threat from this iteration of the Super League. You just wouldn’t have guessed that from the response in Spain, where it was roundly portrayed as yet another victory for Perez. This is what he has become used to, his ambitions almost willed into existence.
You only have to look at European football’s current landscape, one that now looks set to be dominated by Real Madrid for a decade. It makes it all the more of a wonder why Perez is seeking to destroy it through the Super League.
This Saturday, Madrid expect to win their 15th Champions League. That would be more than double AC Milan’s seven, the next most successful club, who have been left for dust by the greater winds of football history.
Read more:
Real Madrid have fashioned a world to suit themselves – but is it harming football?
Claude Makelele tips Jude Bellingham for Ballon D’Or after ‘amazing’ season
13:59 , Lawrence Ostlere
Bellingham will have to perform for England if they are to have a successful tournament in Germany.
But Makelele believes boss Gareth Southgate has to take the reins off him.
“For England he can be great, it is important for him to play the way he does with Real Madrid,” he added.
“For the national team he needs to have the capacity for the manager to give him this possibility, to have the freedom he has at Real Madrid. All the quality he has for Real Madrid he can give to England, he will need his team-mates to defend him.
“He is a clever player and he will adapt to his team-mates in the national team.”
Claude Makelele tips Jude Bellingham for Ballon D’Or after ‘amazing’ season
13:50 , Lawrence Ostlere
Former Real Madrid and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele has tipped Jude Bellingham to win the Ballon D’Or.
The 20-year-old has had a remarkable debut season at the Bernabeu, scoring 23 goals in all competitions and could cap it off by winning the Champions League on home soil at Wembley tonight.
Few would have expected Bellingham to make such an impact during his first year in Spain and, with a strong performance for England at Euro 2024, Makelele thinks he could claim the biggest individual prize in the game.
“He is a future Ballon D’Or if he continues like this,” the Frenchman said. “He can take it, if he wins the Champions League and has a great Euros, I think he will be the winner of the Ballon D’Or.
“I am so impressed with what he has done. First with the quality he has, then the leadership and how he adapted to LaLiga and Madrid.
“No one has done this before. To do what he has done is amazing. A young player like this, he has many years of great football. Also for the national team it will be great to see him play.”
Bellingham wants to inspire next generation
13:36 , Lawrence Ostlere
Bellingham – who was speaking in his role as an ambassador for McDonald’s Fun Football, the largest free grassroots participation programme in the UK for children aged 5-11 – wants to help the next generation as well as win trophies.
He says major tournaments like this summer’s Euros provide the perfect platform for young people to fall in love with football, making it all the more important for England to succeed in Germany.
“I think they’re huge,” said Bellingham, who idolised Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard as a kid.
“That’s the thing growing up, everyone remembers a tournament or a certain game, most likely the big tournaments, those which made them fall in love with football or want to go out and play themselves.
“As England players that’s the responsibility we and I have now, whether we like it or not.
“And I think that’s why it’s important that as a country and as a team, we make a good account of ourselves on the big stage and make people proud to be English and proud to want to play football in this country.”
Jude Bellingham hoping for Champions League and Euro 2024 glory
13:27 , Lawrence Ostlere
Jude Bellingham is determined to help Real Madrid and England become kings of the continent as the midfielder looks to end a remarkable season on the highest of highs.
The 20-year-old has flourished since last summer swapping Germany for Spain, where he recently won LaLiga and was crowned the competition’s best player.
All eyes will be on Bellingham this weekend, especially as the pinnacle of European club football is swiftly followed by England going for continental glory at Euro 2024.
“For me the benchmark has always been winning trophies,” Bellingham said. “Playing well and scoring goals for club and country. I want to win and that has always been my mindset from the very first day.
“Off the pitch inspiring the future of the game and being a role model is something that is becoming more important to me – I see the impact I can have.”
Key battles: Antonio Rudiger v Niclas Fullkrug
13:13 , Lawrence Ostlere
Germany centre-back Rudiger, who made his 100th appearance for Real Madrid last week, played a key role in their passage to the final after keeping a stranglehold on both Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane earlier in the knockout phase.
Rudiger has every attribute required for a world-class central defender and Fullkrug, a traditional centre forward, must look to pull Rudiger out of position so gaps appear for others.
Key battles: Jadon Sancho v Ferland Mendy
12:48 , Lawrence Ostlere
The latter’s pace is sure to keep Real right-back Dani Carvajal on his toes, but the bigger threat on the night could come from Sancho, who has plenty to prove on the Wembley stage after being loaned out by Manchester United.
Sancho appears back to his best and France left-back Ferland Mendy may have to think twice about bombing high up the other end of the pitch.
Key battles: Vinicius Jr vs Julian Ryerson
12:28 , Lawrence Ostlere
Brazil forward Vinicius Junior scored his side’s winner in the 2022 final against Liverpool and his 31 Champions League goal contributions (goals and assists) over the last three seasons is more than any other player.
But Norway right-back Ryerson has been an outstanding one-on-one defender this season and impressively came out on top when asked to snuff out Kylian Mbappe’s threat in both legs of Dortmund’s semi-final win against Paris St Germain.
Key battles: Jude Bellingham v Emre Can
12:22 , Lawrence Ostlere
Bellingham, who will face his former club, was voted LaLiga’s player of the season earlier this week after a stellar first year in the Spanish capital.
He could be the difference between the two sides unless kept in check by Dortmund’s deep-lying former Liverpool midfielder Can.
The German international cannot match Bellingham’s dynamism, but can head off the gaps in the final third, which the marauding Englishman thrives in.
Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
12:19 , Sonia Twigg
Fans have been gathering in different areas of London ahead of kick off, here are some photos from around the capital:
Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund: Key battles
12:12 , Lawrence Ostlere
Real will bid to become European champions for a record-extending 15th time, while Dortmund, whose solitary Champions League win came in 1997, will be appearing in their third final.
Now we take a look at the key battles that could prove decisive on the night…
Marco Reus: We need luck and to be on top form to beat Madrid
11:56 , Lawrence Ostlere
Edin Terzic’s side impressively beat Paris St Germain 2-0 on aggregate to reach the final earlier this month, but sandwiched between those ties were heavy Bundesliga defeats to Mainz and RB Leipzig.
Reus, who has scored four times in seven matches against Madrid, said: “You know what awaits you.
“Their players are used to these moments; they must be less nervous, but this doesn’t decide whether you win the game or not, because it will be decided on the pitch.
“They have strong players in every position, they play very calm football, they press very high, they run a lot, but it all depends on the momentum. We will analyse them really well.
“We will need to be in top form on the day; in a final, you need that bit of luck as well and, of course, you need to convert your chances.
“But it’s a one-off game and anything is possible – we must believe, we will believe, and we will have tremendous support behind us for this final.”
Marco Reus hoping to end Dortmund career with European glory
11:35 , Lawrence Ostlere
Marco Reus is excited about the prospect of a fairytale finish to his Borussia Dortmund career and has told his team-mates to believe anything is possible in Saturday’s Champions League final with Real Madrid.
It was announced earlier this month that Reus would depart Dortmund this summer after 428 appearances and 12 years at the club.
Reus, 34, spent five of those seasons as captain and initially progressed through the Dortmund academy before he first made his mark at Borussia Monchengladbach.
A move to Signal Iduna Park followed in 2012 and he will close his memorable chapter with Dortmund with a second Champions League final appearance after he was involved in their loss to domestic rivals Bayern Munich in 2013, which was also played at Wembley.
“I would say there is nothing better than playing your last game in a Champions League final and winning it,” Reus told uefa.com.
“Starting with a Champions League final at Wembley in 2013 and finishing with one in 2024 for your last game, there are worse ways to end a Dortmund career.
“The last final at Wembley was 11 years ago and it’s a different opposition, different players as well, so it’s not about revenge, it’s just about the anticipation.
“Now the objective is to win the trophy because we cannot imagine how things could be the very next day here. It’s just about the next 90 minutes, possibly 120 minutes, which will decide.”
Click here to read the full blog on The Independent’s website