Champions League Final: What will be going through Mbappe's mind?

Tonight’s Champions League final: Inter Milan vs PSG. Who will win? Honestly, I don’t know. Two teams that have never faced each other in a competitive match — and now they’re battling for the biggest prize in club football at the Allianz Arena. It’s set to be an intriguing tactical contest, given the starkly different styles of play both sides bring.

Inzaghi’s Inter are a special team. They play pragmatic football, but mentally, they’re monsters. They just don’t give up. Two Champions League finals in three years with a squad that, on paper, shouldn’t even be close to PSG in terms of budget — that’s pure coaching genius. Yes, they have quality players, but many arrived on free transfers. They’ve spent far less in the market to build this ageing yet formidable unit.

Then there’s PSG under Lucho. Remember when they had Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe together and still couldn’t get past the round of 16? Now they’ve moved away from the Galáctico approach and built a young, hungry team. Sure, they’ve still spent big to assemble this core, but it’s like watching a completely different PSG. They attack as a team and defend as a team.

But can we talk about what might be going through Mbappe’s mind right now? I’m just curious — as a football fan. His old team is on the verge of winning the Champions League, just a year after he got his dream move to Real Madrid. I keep thinking about that video from last season — Luis Enrique urging him to track back, and you could feel the tension. Now they have Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Doue and Barcola — all ready to press, defend, and strike as one. Their midfield is outstanding too. Can this young group take that final step? That remains to be seen.

Kylian had an incredible individual season at Real Madrid. He won the European Golden Shoe and the Pichichi in La Liga — but Real ended the season without a major trophy. A disappointing campaign by their standards. Meanwhile, PSG, the club he left behind, are 90 minutes away from the very trophy they couldn’t win with him. They’re also chasing a treble — something no French team has ever achieved.

What’s he thinking tonight? Does he want his former teammates to finally lift the Champions League trophy they all chased together? Or is there a part of him that wishes it had happened while he was still wearing that shirt? Let’s not forget — when he was there, they lost the final to Bayern.

If I were in his position, I’d be feeling a mix of emotions. After all, we’re only human.

— From code to kick-off: Gulf News’ Mohammed Shamsheer spends his weekdays in DevOps and weekends watching football — a proud Chelsea supporter through and through.