Arsenal's Dutch right-back Jurrien Timber was declared fit for the Champions League final on May 30 after recovering from a groin injury sustained in mid-March, but he started on the bench in the match against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed Timber and teammate Noni Madueke were both available, saying, "He is fit. Noni (Madueke) as well." [1]
Despite being fit, Arsenal named Cristhian Mosquera as the starting right back for the final played at Budapest's Puskas Arena, where Timber came on as a substitute [3, 5]. Arteta selected Kai Havertz as Arsenal's lone striker, choosing him over Viktor Gyokeres [3, 5].
Arsenal entered the final on the back of their first Premier League title in 22 years, which they secured on May 28 [2, 6]. Arteta emphasized the team's ambition, saying, "No, the ambition is bigger, we have one [trophy] and we want the second one," and called the final an opportunity to "write a new chapter in the history of this football club" [2, 6]. He added, "They [PSG] are defending the trophy... We are here to take that away from them" [6].
PSG, as defending Champions League winners, fielded their preferred lineup including Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembele, both fully recovered from injuries [3, 5]. The final at the 61,400-capacity Puskas Arena saw significant security measures. Budapest police deployed nearly 4,000 officers anticipating at least 10,000 ticketless fans in the city, which expected around 85,000 airport arrivals over the final weekend [2]. Both clubs were allocated about 17,000 tickets each [2].
