Pairs Saint-Germain and Barcelona lock horns in an eagerly anticipated UEFA Champions League contest at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.
Back-to-back European champions PSG didn't face Barca on the way to their first UEFA Champions League triumph in 2024/25, but the two did clash at Camp Nou in the 2025/26 league phase -- with Luis Enrique's side emerging victorious in narrow 2-1 fashion.
While the nature of the league phase means that Tuesday's fixture probably won't mean too much in the grand scheme of things, it's an opportunity for spectators to watch two of the greatest teams in world football.
We've assembled a combined XI featuring the current crop of PSG and Barcelona players, which lines up in a 4-2-4 due to the ridiculous amount of attacking talent on display.
GK - Joan Garcia
Not much separates Joan Garcia and Matvey Safonov in between the sticks, but it's impossible to ignore the Spaniard's clean sheet record since trading Espanyol for their cross-town neighbours Barcelona in 2025.
The 25-year-old boats a remarkable 50% clean sheet ratio in 38 La Liga appearances for the Catalan giants across the 2025/26 and 2026/27 campaigns. Remarkably, he's yet to keep a clean sheet for Barca in the UEFA Champions League, but his sweeping capabilities can't be overlooked in a Flick team that plays a notably high line.
RB - Achraf Hakimi
Arguably the easiest selection in this combined XI, Achraf Hakimi makes the team at right-back.
Boasting outrageous pace and providing ridiculous attacking returns, no right-back in world football compares to the 27-year-old Moroccan, who was vital to PSG's successive European triumphs.
CB - Pau Cubarsi
Barcelona's defence is arguably their weakest area, but World Cup winner Pau Cubarsi is not at fault for this.
Breaking into the Barca back line as a 16-year-old in the 2023/24 season, the Spaniard has become a mainstay ever since, showcasing elite composure and ball-playing skills on both the European stage for the five-time UEFA Champions League winners and the international stage with reigning Euros and World Cup champions Spain.
CB - Willian Pacho
Marquinhos is unlucky to miss out, but his younger, more athletic PSG teammate Willian Pacho takes the second centre back spot.
While the club's inability to win the UEFA Champions League with a centre back pairing of Marquinhos and Thiago Silva is not a reflection on their lack of quality, it's impossible to look past Pacho's impact since joining the Paris giants, playing every single minute in their 2025/26 European campaign.
LB - Nuno Mendes
Hakimi's full-back partnership with Nuno Mendes is reminiscent of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson's partnership at Liverpool, only the PSG duo create their attacking threat through athleticism and elite dribbling, while the Reds pairing were renowned for their elite crossing expertise.
Not only does Mendes pose a threat in the final third, he is a relentless defender and gave Lamine Yamal, Mohamed Salah and Michael Olise tough games last term.
CM - Rodri
In a devastating blow to both Rodri and Manchester City, the defensive midfielder tore his ACL just a month before being crowned as the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner. His comeback, however, has been remarkable.
While he endured a stop-start 2025/26 term with the Citizens upon his return, he captained Spain to World Cup glory in the summer and won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball -- following in the footsteps of previous winners Messi, Luka Modric, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo -- before making the switch to Barcelona.
CM - Vitinha
The absence of Pedri and Joao Neves in this combined XI demonstrates the sheer quality that both sides boast in the engine room, but there simply has to be a place for Vitinha.
The midfielder's assist for Desire Doue in PSG's 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final epitomises everything that the 26-year-old is about. Constantly scanning, always on the move and capable of picking out passes at any range, Vitinha's rise from the Wolverhampton Wanderers bench to a back-to-back European champion is one of the greatest that we've seen in recent years.
RW - Lamine Yamal
The biggest compliment that you can pay Lamine Yamal is that few people disregard comparisons made between the Spaniard and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.
He placed eighth in the 2024 Ballon d'Or rankings, second behind Ousmane Dembele in 2025, and trails Harry Kane in the betting to clinch the award next week. A quick reminder, he is 19-years-old and playing just his fourth full season in senior football.
Labelling him as a generational talent feels like an understatement.
CF - Ousmane Dembele
PSG's squad depth does allow Enrique to rest Ousmane Dembele in Ligue 1 -- much to the annoyance of European competitors -- but this doesn't take away from the Frenchman's brilliance in the UEFA Champions League.
The forward has recorded an outrageous 34 goal contributions in 41 games in the competition since joining PSG in 2023. To put this into context, he was involved in 20 goals in 40 European appearances across spells at Borussia Dortmund and Barca before his switch to the French capital.
Dembele's move to PSG is one of the most successful transfers in more recent years, with his 2025 Ballon d'Or success cementing his name in history.
CF - Raphinha
Stepping into the shoes of Robert Lewandowski -- who scored 120 goals in 193 games for Barca -- looked like an arduous task, but Raphinha has inherited the centre forward role seamlessly.
The Brazilian is another player who has seen much of their success come in the UEFA Champions League -- recording an extraordinary 22 goal contributions in 14 games in the 2024/25 tournament -- and he got his 2026/27 European campaign off to a flyer when netting twice in Barca's 5-1 win over Feyenoord in matchday one.
LW - Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
There was once a time where Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was deemed underrated, but people have started to appreciate the Georgian for what he is after a mightily impressive 2026/27 season.
An elite one v one dribbler -- who has been nicknamed "Kvaradona" after drawing comparisons with Agrentine great Diego Maradona for his flair and unpredictability in the final third -- the 25-year-old has proven a steal at €80m and looks set to light up European football for years to come.
