Cherish the Feel-Good Stories. They Won’t Last.

Enjoy the underdogs now, because money will restore Europe’s usual order soon enough.

In One Moment, Messi and P.S.G. Make It All Work

The Lionel Messi goal that completed a Champions League win over Manchester City offered a flash of his past, and a glimpse of his new club’s future.

At Barcelona, a Feeling Worse Than Sorrow: Pity

The Camp Nou’s reaction to a humbling defeat in the Champions League was a measure of how far and how fast a mighty team has fallen.

When a Fairy Tale Is Disputed Territory

Sheriff Tiraspol, a team from Moldova (sort of), has made the Champions League. But whether the club’s story is wonderful or worrying depends on the light.

Messi, Mbappé and Running Out the Clock

Lionel Messi moved to P.S.G. because Barcelona couldn’t stop him. Kylian Mbappé may have to stay put because his club holds all the leverage.

UEFA Plans $7 Billion Pandemic Relief Fund for Clubs

European soccer’s governing body will give cash-strapped teams access to their future earnings from club competitions like the Champions League.

At Euro 2020, a Reminder That Good Can Be Great

Holding national teams to club standards spoils the fun of international tournaments like the Euros and Copa América.

N’Golo Kanté, Chelsea and Beating the System

Every coach has a plan. But players still decide games, and only Chelsea has Kanté. In the Champions League final, that made all the difference.

Pep Guardiola and the Ones That Got Away

One of soccer’s most successful coaches hasn’t been to the Champions League final in a decade. But as Manchester City meets Chelsea, he has a chance to reclaim the trophy he values most.

Revisiting Ilkay Gundogan

The Manchester City midfielder is a rare player in the Champions League final: one with experience in the game. He wants to know what it feels like to win.

The Game of Tomorrow, Today

Seismic shocks to European soccer’s landscape have turned Saturday’s Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea into a sign of things to come.

After Stumbling to the Finish Line, Liverpool Struts Across It

A win at Anfield guaranteed the club a place in the Champions League next season, but only a brief respite before it plunges into soccer’s new reality.