UCL 2025: Joan Laporta Reveals Preferred Opponent for Barcelona, Names Europe’s Top Two Clubs

Barcelona Football Club’s president, Joan Laporta, has openly shared his thoughts on the upcoming UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2025 season, specifically revealing the opponent he would love FC Barcelona to face.

In a recent interview, Laporta expressed his desire for Barcelona to be drawn against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) — the reigning UEFA Champions League champions from last season. He strongly believes that such a matchup would not only be thrilling for the fans of both clubs but would also serve as a highlight for global football enthusiasts.

“It would bring immense joy to football fans worldwide to witness Barcelona face off with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League,” Laporta said during an interview with CNN.

He went on to explain that in his opinion — and likely in the minds of many fans — Barcelona and PSG stood out as the two most outstanding teams in European football last season. According to Laporta, their performances and form throughout the competition demonstrated dominance and class, which made them the most competitive football clubs in Europe during the 2024 campaign.

“Paris Saint-Germain had an excellent season,” Laporta acknowledged, commending the French club’s dominant run to the trophy.

The Barcelona chief was clearly disappointed that his club didn’t have the chance to meet PSG in last season’s final. Instead, Barcelona fell to Inter Milan in the semi-finals, ending their hopes of a potential showdown with PSG.

“I think PSG and Barcelona were the two most competitive and well-prepared teams in European football last season,” he remarked, reflecting on how close the dream clash came to reality.

Laporta added that he hopes for a meeting between Barça and PSG at any stage of the next Champions League season, particularly under UEFA’s new UCL format, which aims to increase the number of high-profile matches among elite clubs in the group stages and knockouts.

“I really wish we meet under the new Champions League structure being introduced by UEFA,” Laporta added with hope.

Despite Barcelona’s strong form throughout the last campaign, their semi-final defeat to Inter Milan halted their progress. However, Inter themselves couldn’t maintain their momentum and suffered a comprehensive defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the final, further cementing PSG’s status as Europe’s top force.

Laporta’s comments come as Barcelona prepares for the new season under high expectations, especially following strong transfer window moves and managerial confidence in the current squad. The president’s statement fuels speculation about a potential Barcelona vs PSG showdown — a match-up that could define the elite tier of European club football.