The next chapter of UEFA Women’s Champions League will highlight two of its leading characters. FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes will battle for Europe’s most prestigious title Saturday at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway.
With the familiar matchup on the marquee, the sold-out match will be the perfect backdrop for the high-stakes moment. Barcelona step into a sixth consecutive final after defeating Bayern Munich in the semifinal. Lyonnes eliminated Wolfsburg to take another chance at cementing their status as the best in Europe.
The current storylines match the overall history between the two clubs. The Catalonians will try to lift the trophy for the first time without coach Jonatan Giráldez, who is now on the sidelines for Lyonnes. The return of three-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati from a long injury absence also adds a wrinkle of intrigue on what type of impact she might have on the big game.
It’s the first time the final has been held in Oslo, and it is the fourth UWCL final between the two sides in eight tournaments. Norwegian fans attending the game will have national team players to root for with Ada Hegerberg and Ingrid Engen competing with Lyonnes and Caroline Graham Hansen and Martine Fenger for Barcelona.
Plenty of eyes will be on Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas, with questions on whether this is her final match with her longtime club, while U.S. women’s national team captain Lindsey Heaps is set to join NWSL’s Denver Summit following her final game with Lyonnes.
“I only saw men’s Champions League when I was growing up and watching it on TV. So, now to think, one, that there’s Americans playing in this competition, but also have won this competition, and potentially can win two, and to be the first … it’s very special,” Heaps said.
“It shows a lot where football has come in America, but also the women’s game. I would be very proud. But for me its more just ending on a high with this team.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the big game:
How to watch
Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network will each be a one-stop shop for the 2025-26 UEFA Women’s Champions League final, with both platforms simulcasting all coverage and every minute of the action. Coverage will begin with a new edition of the UEFA Women’s Champions League Today prematch show before the match, while studio coverage resumes in halftime and concludes with the postmatch show to recap the action.
Viewing information
All times U.S./Eastern
Storylines for UWCL semifinals
Is there really a favorite?: At this level, it’s rarely a fair question, especially between two sides with so much success in this type of game.
But Barcelona has held the slight edge over Lyonnes to start the tournament. The Blaugrana dominated the league phase and earned the top spot on the 18-team table with a significant goal differential despite Lyonnes matching Barcelona’s 16 match points. It has felt like the two sides were constantly trying to best the other despite not playing each other until this moment.
It also feels like the injury bug has hampered one team a bit more than the other. Midfielder Aitana Bonmati returned to Barcelona’s bench and earned her first minutes since December during the second leg of the semifinal. Meanwhile, Melchie Durmornay and Salma Bacha were given some rest ahead of the semifinal for OL. Just as they returned to help secure a spot in the final for the French giants, the club recently announced a season-ending injury for starting attacker Kadidiatou Diani.
Availability reports aside, the head coaching match-up will be its own battle. Jonatan Giráldez will lead his new side, OL Lyonnes, against his previous club and former protoge, Pere Romeu.
“Neither team will change their game. We know each other from the past, as [Giráldez] was the coach and I was his assistant. He hasn’t experienced me as a coach, but tactically, he knows me down to a tee, and I know him down to a tee too,” said Romeu.
“It’s a final, small details will make the difference. We will try to be as well-prepared as possible to make the most of our strengths and to try to capitalize on the slightest of weaknesses that OL Lyonnes may have.”
Is this Alexia Putellas last game with Barcelona?
Quite possibly. Alexia Putellas has played with Barcelona since her youth team days in 2005. The 32-year-old has over 500 appearances in her time with the squad, two Ballon d’Or’s, hundreds of goals, and countless club trophies. There might not ever be another player as prolific as “La Riena” for the club as it enters its next era.
There are rumors connecting Putellas with an exit from the franchise, despite Barcelona’s company line that they want the player to stay. The midfielder already expressed some emotion during her substitution from the second leg semifinal win in Camp Nou, and for now, she’s focused on the game ahead against a familiar foe.
“Things have changed [since the 2024 final] in that our coach is now on the other team, and they’ve made a few changes to their squad. So, I do think their team has changed, even though their key players are still there,” Putellas said.
“Because it’s a Champions League final against a team like OL Lyonnes, I think it’s difficult to predict what’s going to happen. All I know is that it’ll be a very close match. Ultimately, we’re the two best teams in Europe, so it’s going to be a great game.”
Can OL Lyonnes reestablish themselves in new era?:
OL carry the honor as winningest team ever in women’s Champions League with eight titles. Though the last time the franchise won the competiton was in 2022. The tournament has since gone through a significant transformation. Clubs around the globe are seeing more investment, the competitive level is higher than ever, and moving forward the tournament will operate in a new era of a “Swiss model” with a newly added league phase.
The annual contenders showed no signs of slowing down during this year’s inaugural shift in tournament format, though there were some challenges along the way with scrappy draws and a first-leg semifinal defeat. Long-time team captain Wendie Renard knows now it’s time to put everything together for one more best game.
“What we have learned throughout this run is that we need to perform at our very best if we want to win these kinds of matches. At this level, there’s no room for mistakes,” said Renard.
“Our goal is to go into the final and play our football, just like we’ve done all season. I don’t think we’re going to change the way we play. We’ll need to be strong, technically very sharp, and clinical in both penalty areas.”
