Tonight, at 9:00 PM CET/3:00 PM Eastern in Paris is the final match of the UEFA Champions League tournament, arguably the most important football tournament next to the World Cup. Liverpool will play Real Madrid, and the Reds are currently a narrow favorite - though Real Madrid is the all-time leader in Champions League titles, all the way back to when the competition was called the European Cup.
Earlier this year, I profiled Charlotte-area supporters from both clubs, including Liverpool Supporters Club of Charlotte President Carlos Quevedo, and Real Madrid supporters club treasurer Will Walters. Real Madrid fans are already packed into Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, and you’ll never walk alone if you look for Liverpool supporters at Valhalla tonight.
This morning, I woke up in Luxembourg and the first person I saw (other than my wife) was part of a group wearing Liverpool kits. They could even be going to the match since it was moved from Russia to Paris after Vladimir Putin’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. I’ll be watching the match from an Irish pub in Brussels and I don’t doubt it will get rowdy, so I’ll try to take pictures.
Finally, if you can’t wait for the match to start, you can listen to the iconic Champions League theme music here. Good luck to both clubs tonight!