2025/26 Major Finals Preview Special

UEFA Europa League Final: Freiburg VS Aston Villa

SC Freiburg enter their first-ever European Final against the most successful manager in this competition’s history, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa! Freiburg currently sit 7th in the Bundesliga, and they’ve beaten Genk, Celta Vigo, and Braga on their way to the Final! When it comes to Aston Villa, they currently find themselves 4th in the Premier League, and they’ve knocked off Lille, Bologna, and Nottingham Forest to book their ticket to Istanbul! When it comes to success in Europe, Freiburg are set to play in their first-ever Final, whilst Villa won the big one in 1982! Overall, SC Freiburg are looking to make history by winning their first major trophy, whilst Unai Emery is looking to cement his legacy by guiding Aston Villa to Europa League glory!

My Prediction: 1-3

Championship Playoff Final: Hull VS Middlesbrough

As of writing, Hull City and Middlesbrough are set to compete in the biggest football game of the season! Hull finished 6th in the Championship with 73 points, and they knocked off Millwall 2-0 in the Semi-Finals! When it comes to Middlesbrough, they finished 5th this season with 80 points, and they’ve actually already lost to Southampton in this year’s Playoffs! However, Southampton were found guilty of spying, resulting in them being kicked out and Boro reinstated! Anyway, in their 2 meetings this season, both teams won the away fixture! Overall, both Hull City and Middlesbrough were Relegated in the 2016/17 Premier League Season, and now one of them has a chance to finally return to the biggest stage!

My Prediction: 1-2

League One Playoff Final: Stockport County VS Bolton

Stockport County are aiming for their 4th Promotion in 8 seasons when they take on Bolton Wanderers at Wembley! Stockport County finished 3rd in League One with 77 points, and they beat Stevenage 3-0 in the Semi-Finals! When it comes to Bolton, they finished 5th this season with 75 points, and they booked their ticket to Wembley with a 2-0 win over Bradford! In their 2 meetings this season, Stockport won at home, whilst the game at the Toughsheet Community Stadium finished as a 2-all draw! Overall, this game is massively important for the future of both teams, with Stockport County looking to keep their momentum rolling, whilst Bolton Wanderers need to get back to the second flight after 7 years away!

My Prediction: 2-1

League Two Playoff Final: Salford VS Notts County

Both Salford City and Notts County are desperate to get out of League Two! Salford City finished 4th in League Two with 81 points, and they edged out Grimsby 4-3 (AET) in the Semi-Finals! When it comes to Notts County, they finished 5th this season with 80 points, and they needed just a single goal to beat Chesterfield to a place in the Final! In their 2 meetings this season, Salford won them both 2-1! Overall, Salford City are looking to finally make it into League One on the 7th time of asking, whilst Notts County need to overcome their “bogey team”!

My Prediction: 2-1

UEFA Conference League Final: Crystal Palace VS Rayo Vallecano

Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano head to Germany looking to make history! Crystal Palace currently sit 15th in the Premier League, and they’ve beaten Zrinjski Mostar, AEK Larnaca, Fiorentina, and Shakhtar Donetsk on their way to the Final! When it comes to Rayo Vallecano, they currently find themselves 8th in LaLiga, and they’ve knocked off Samsunspor, AEK Athens, and Strasbourg to book their ticket to Leipzig! When it comes to success in Europe, both Palace and Vallecano are set to play in their first-ever European Final! Overall, this is honestly a really difficult game to call, so who’s going to earn their way into next season’s Europa League?

 My Prediction: 1-2

UEFA Champions League: PSG VS Arsenal

And finally, Paris Saint-Germain look to go back-to-back as Arsenal aim to end the season with two trophies in the 2026 UEFA Champions League Final! PSG have already secured another Ligue 1 Title, and they’ve beaten Monaco, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich on their way to the Final! When it comes to Arsenal, they’ve officially won the Premier League now, and they’ve knocked off Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP, and Atletico Madrid to book their ticket to Budapest! When it comes to success in this competition, PSG are looking to win the Champions League for a second-straight year, whilst Arsenal are still yet to be crowned as European Champions! Overall, Paris Saint-Germain are definitely the best team in the world right now, but that doesn’t mean that Arsenal can’t find a way to make history!

My Prediction: 2-0