Champions League final kit preview | Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund | Adidas v Puma

Spare a thought for the groundskeepers at Wembley.

After the small matter of an FA Cup final and the Championship play-off final last weekend, the Champions League takes centre stage in north-west London. Though this year's final isn't a true tale of David vs Goliath, Borussia Dortmund will have it all to do against the behemoth that is Real Madrid.

You're not here to read my pre-game thoughts for Saturday though; the important question is what will the teams be wearing? Who has the better kit if the final were to be decided on aesthetic criteria?

Oh and if you scroll to the bottom of the page check the latest vintage shirts that have dropped. 

What kits will Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund wear in the Champions League final

In a move that will delight purists everywhere both BVB and Real will be wearing their traditional home colours. Despite UEFA having notoriously strict regulations when it comes to things like kit details (R.I.P the "Three Little Birds" logo from the Ajax kit a few years ago), common sense continues to prevail in regards to the choice of kits for the UCL final. Last year Manchester City and Inter Milan both wore their home kits in the final, and it'll be a battle of yellow vs white on the pitch this weekend.

Borussia Dortmund Champions League final shirt

Exactly what yellow Dortmund are wearing all comes down to one of the great traditions in football shirts. As with previous matches in the tournament this season, and appearances in season's past, BVB will be donning their cup kit for the final game of the season. Cup kits; designs which are worn exclusively in cup competitions and which often share the base colours of a home kit, are something of a rarity, but their appearance is always a welcome one.

Dortmund are perhaps the most famous proponents of the cup kit, with their most famous runs in Europe punctuated by the usage of specially designated team wear. I would argue that the 2012/13 vintage was one of the defining designs of the early 2010s, though fans may want to dissociate from that Champions League campaign given the eventual loss to Bayern Munich in the final at... Wembley. If you're looking for a more positive omen though, Dortmund dispatched a certain Real Madrid in the semis that season.

Ultimately I'm just happy we'll be seeing the 2023/24 cup design in comparison to the lacklustre Dortmund home. Despite a fun backstory which saw the club launch a fan competition, the departing home jersey is one of the worst designs of any top team for me. The stadium design is barebones, and there is precious little in the way of interesting details to make up for it.

We'll also be spared of seeing the 2024/25 home given an appearance (it's rare that teams wear next season's shirts for a cup final, but it has happened, notably with Chelsea in 2008). Though perhaps a slight (emphasis on slight) upgrade on 23/24, Puma continue to underwhelm in the department of Dortmund home kits whilst excelling in other areas. This year's cup kit (above) has a strong pattern with a series grainy, black gradients within a pattern of geometric shards and a well executed collar in a day and age when good collars are hard to come by. It looks particularly good with black shorts, which is the likely choice for the final as opposed to yellow.

Real Madrid Champions League final shirt

For Real Madrid, the current home shirt which we'll see on Saturday is quietly one of the team's best in the modern era. From a technology perspective the kit is unrivalled; actual sleeve taping and the latest iteration of adidas' HEAT.RDY tech are two huge pluses. I'm also a big fan of the choice of gold as an accent colour. Though all Real Madrid home shirts are white, the different secondary and tertiary colours can really make or break a look. I'm sure there are many people in the white/purple, white/blue or white/black camps, but I'm here for white/gold.

Will Jude Bellingham wear long sleeves

If Jude Bellingham walks out onto the pitch in long sleeves then it's truly game over. Long sleeve kits haven't quite made the full comeback I was hoping to see by this point, but adidas continue to offer a selection of their shirts in the superior format and a small group of players have obliged. This is unironically something I’m keeping an eye out for on Saturday.

Not wanting to forget all the keeper kit enjoyers out there, the expected choices for Saturday are orange for Dortmund and green for Real. Neither choices are particularly notable, with both templates being largely forgettable even in some of the more daring colourways across either brand's stable.

Adidas x Puma 

A final word on the brands. adidas are no strangers to the Champions League final, thanks largely to Los Blancos, but Puma are less familiar with the big event. Manchester City have begun to shift the balance in recent seasons with final appearances wearing Puma in 2021 and 2023, but prior to those sightings Puma's last UCL final appearance came courtesy of... Borussia Dortmund back in the aforementioned 2013 season.

The BVB x Puma partnership will deepen whatever the result on Saturday, with success vaulting the tandem into legendary territory. adidas x Real are the last people you want to see at the opposite end of the ring when chasing glory, though.