Bellingham Tops List of Champions League Final Rookies
Six Real Madrid players are making their debut in a Champions League final. Fran García, Brahim Díaz, Arda Güler, Mario Martín, Jude Bellingham, and Joselu Mato. The other 18 players on the first team have been here before, a stark contrast to the four players from Borussia Dortmund with final experience.
Out of Dortmund’s four, only two have actually won it. And just one, Niklas Süle, has played in a final. He did so with Bayern Munich in the 2020 final against Paris Saint-Germain, where he started and played 65 minutes.
The other with a Champions League title is Emre Can, who is also the most experienced. In 2012, he was part of the Bayern squad that lost to Chelsea on penalties, and in 2013, Bayern took revenge by beating Dortmund. Can was only called up for the first group stage match that season, against Valencia. During his time in England, he played seven minutes in the final that Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in 2018 (3-1).
From that Dortmund team under Jürgen Klopp that reached the final, Mats Hummels and Marco Reus are still around. They lost to Bayern Munich back then. Now, Hummels is shining in the Champions League, having a great semifinal against PSG, although Dortmund finished fifth in the Bundesliga, 27 points behind champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Reus, on the other hand, is a club legend who stayed at Dortmund despite offers during his peak years, while his teammates – including Hummels, who returned – moved on. Now a regular substitute in the Champions League, he’s looking to end his legacy with a major title.
Only four of the 29 Dortmund players this season have final experience, a stark contrast to Real Madrid. The Champions League is Madrid’s tournament. They’re chasing their 15th title. The next team on the list is AC Milan with seven.
Moreover, four players – Nacho, Modric, Carvajal, and Kroos – could win their sixth Champions League title, all in the last ten years. That's huge.
New Signings Making Their Debut
That’s why there are very few players at Real Madrid making their Champions League final debut. All of them joined the team last summer. The biggest name is Jude Bellingham, who will face his former team. The Englishman has been a standout this season alongside Vinícius Junior, scoring 23 goals and providing 12 assists in his first season at 20 years old. Now, he aims to win the most prestigious club trophy.
Others joining this quest are newcomers Brahim Díaz, who reached the semifinals with Milan last season, and first-time Champions League participants Fran García, Arda Güler, Joselu Mato – who scored twice in two minutes against Bayern to send Madrid to the final – and academy player Mario Martín.
Additionally, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Antonio Rüdiger, both Champions League winners with Chelsea in 2022, are looking to win their first with Real Madrid. Kepa will be a backup, as he was in the 2022 final against Manchester City (0-1), while Rüdiger will be crucial in defense for Ancelotti, just like he was for Tuchel back on May 29.
