Victor Wembanyama Backs PSG Over Arsenal in Champions League Final, Takes Dig at Gunners’ Style

San Antonio Spurs centre Victor Wembanyama has entered the debate surrounding the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League final, publicly declaring his support for Paris Saint-Germain while taking a pointed swipe at Arsenal‘s style of play ahead of the May 30th showpiece in Budapest.

Speaking on Amazon Prime Sport, the French basketball star was unambiguous when asked for his prediction. “PSG of course, at least they’re going to make it fun, cause I know Arsenal ain’t,” Wembanyama said, referencing the North London club’s well-documented pragmatic approach under manager Mikel Arteta.

The comments arrive at a sensitive moment for Arsenal, who secured their place in their first European Cup final in two decades via a cautious 2-1 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals. While the Gunners have constructed an impressive 14-game unbeaten run in this season’s Champions League — a record-breaking sequence — their defensive-heavy methods have attracted criticism from neutrals who favour a more attacking brand of football.

PSG, the defending champions, present a stark stylistic contrast. Louis Enrique’s side have cut through the knockout rounds with an aggressive, high-tempo approach, eliminating Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich on their way to the final. That pedigree gives the Parisians a significant psychological advantage, reinforced by the fact that they defeated Arsenal across both legs of last season’s Champions League semi-finals.

For Wembanyama, the allegiance is personal as much as tactical. Born in Le Chesnay, France, the 21-year-old has previously spoken about his love of French culture and sport, and his support for PSG aligns with a broader pattern of NBA players engaging with European football. His profile — he was the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and is widely regarded as a generational talent — ensures his remarks carry considerable reach across social media platforms, where the clip circulated rapidly following the interview.

Arsenal’s route to Budapest underlines the tension at the heart of their campaign. Their defensive solidity has been the foundation of the run — conceding minimally and grinding out results — but that approach has consistently invited the charge that they are not entertaining enough to be worthy champions of Europe’s premier club competition. Arteta has consistently defended his methods, arguing that results validate the philosophy.

The final on May 30th carries historic weight for the Gunners. Arsenal have never won the UEFA Champions League, and a victory in Budapest would represent the pinnacle of Arteta’s tenure at the club. For PSG, success would mean back-to-back European titles and further cement the club’s transformation into a continental superpower.

Wembanyama’s verdict, however light-hearted, reflects a wider narrative that has followed Arsenal throughout this campaign — that winning ugly, however effective, remains a difficult sell to a global audience conditioned to expect spectacle from the Champions League final.