Victor Wembanyama is backing PSG to beat Arsenal in the Champions League final later this month, turning the buildup to Budapest into a fresh reminder of how much the French club’s rise has rattled one of Europe’s biggest names. Speaking on Amazon Prime Sport, the French basketball star said: “PSG of course, at least they’re going to make it fun, cause I know Arsenal ain’t”.
Arsenal earned their place in the final on Tuesday by beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate, extending their unbeaten run in the tournament to 14 games. The result sent Arsenal into their first European Cup final in two decades, while PSG arrive as the defending champions after knocking out Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the knockout rounds.
The question of where is Victor Wembanyama from has followed him for years, but his latest comments landed in a football conversation with real stakes. Wembanyama, who is French, was speaking in the context of the upcoming Champions League final, and his choice of side was unmistakable. He is not hiding the pull of PSG, a club that has turned this season’s run into one of the standout stories in Europe.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta brushed aside the noise after the semifinal win, saying the team knew the quality they would have to face regardless of whether it was Bayern Munich or PSG. “It is what it is. We knew the level of the opposition that we had to face, either way, Bayern Munich or PSG. We know the quality that they have, and that's it. But obviously, we're also very confident that when we get to that moment, we're going to deliver what we need to,” he said.
Steven Gerrard struck a different note, calling Arsenal underdogs for the final and warning that they will need to deal with PSG’s pace and power if they want to lift the trophy. He said Arsenal will have to be the best version of themselves for the full game, and added that they must use their physicality, make every set piece count and take PSG where they do not want to go.
That tension is what gives the final its edge. Arsenal have gone 14 games without defeat in the competition, but PSG have already swept aside Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, and the final in Budapest now becomes a meeting between an unbeaten challenger and a champion that has repeatedly cleared elite opposition. Wembanyama may have been speaking lightly, but his comment captured the mood around a final that now has more than one sport paying attention.
For Arsenal, the chance to end a two-decade wait is all that matters. For PSG, it is about defending what they have built. And for Wembanyama, the answer to where is Victor Wembanyama from is part of the point: he is French, and he made plain which side he wants to see smiling at the end.
