Success costs, and it costs a lot. And when you're talking about football, winning trophies requires more than just investment of time and effort, it also requires you to spend millions of euros. There are no greater examples of this than Madrid and PSG, two squads that have been built around the cheque book.
In total, Madrid and PSG's squads have cost their respective teams more than 1.2billion euros. Pocket change, really. If tonight's game was decided on who had splashed the most cash, PSG would be victorious; their investment totals nearly €800m, to Madrid's meagre €469m.
Neymar wears the crown for the most expensive player of the lot, his transfer last summer costing 222million euros. Next is Mbappé at 180million, while Cristiano (96m) and Bale (91m) are the first Madrid boys on the list. A few million further down lie Cavani, Di Maria and Benzema.
Neither Florentino Perez nor Nasser Al-Khelaifi has shied away during transfer windows, especially not the Qatari, who sent the transfer market into disarray last summer. UEFA was not too keen on his investments, but PSG ended up succeeding in assembling a front-three that anyone would be scared of.
Amongst all this investment and prestige, there's not much space for home-grown talent. Barris any last-minute changes, there will only be one academy player on each side. Nacho for the home side, and Adrien Rabiot for the visitors.
All this money is spent in hope of winning the prestigious Champions League trophy. If 'Los Blancos' manage it, it will be the third on the bounce for Zidane's side. If Emery manages it, it will be a first for the Parisians. Before all that we get to enjoy this clash of the titans, in a tie where neither side can afford to slip up.