Just looking at the number of matches played, many people may think that Arsenal and PSG entered the Champions League final with the same level of fatigue. The match in Budapest this weekend will be Arsenal's 63rd match in the 2025-2026 season, while PSG has played 56 matches. However, if adding 7 matches at the FIFA Club World Cup last summer, the total number of matches of the French representative has actually reached 62.
However, that similarity only exists in theory.
PSG entered a season with almost no break after winning the 2025 Champions League and participating in the FIFA Club World Cup in harsh weather conditions in the US. However, the important thing lies in how Luis Enrique manages the squad throughout the season.
Thanks to his absolute superiority in Ligue 1, the Spanish coach can rotate his forces almost every week. Big stars like Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are often rested in the domestic league to prioritize the Champions League.
Dembele has only started 11 matches in Ligue 1 this season. Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz each started 13 matches, Hakimi 16 matches and Marquinhos only started 11 times. No key PSG player has to work continuously in the domestic league.
Luis Enrique has repeatedly changed almost the entire starting lineup just a few days after major Champions League matches. This helps PSG maintain an ideal fitness foundation before the decisive stage of the season.
Conversely, Arsenal almost does not have that privilege.
The fierce Premier League title race forces Mikel Arteta to use the strongest squad for most of the season. After three consecutive seasons in second place, Arsenal enters this season with enormous pressure to end the domestic title drought that has lasted for more than two decades.
As a result, Arsenal's pillars almost had to play continuously. David Raya played every minute in the Premier League until Arsenal officially won the championship. Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi were almost irreplaceable in midfield. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba also had to work hard throughout the season in defense.
These 5 players have all started at least 30 matches in the Premier League. Meanwhile, no PSG player has started more than 27 times in Ligue 1.
If considering the total playing time in all competitions, the difference becomes even clearer. Arsenal has 9 players playing more than 3,000 minutes this season, while PSG only has 3 people reaching the same milestone. Declan Rice, Saliba or Zubimendi all exceeded the 4,000-minute mark - a number that accurately reflects the level of physical exhaustion they have to endure.
That makes the final in Budapest a rigorous test of physical fitness and ability to maintain intensity. PSG entered the match with a well-managed squad throughout the season. Arsenal, on the contrary, had to fight continuously on all fronts and almost had no chance to reduce the burden on key players.
In a match that requires high intensity pressing, continuous ball rotation speed and the ability to maintain maximum concentration throughout 90 minutes, fitness can become a decisive factor.
And that is why PSG is considered to have a silent but extremely important advantage before this year's Champions League final.
The match between PSG and Arsenal takes place at 11:00 PM on May 30 (Vietnam time).
