Excitement is growing among the tens of thousands of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur fans out in Madrid ahead of Saturday night’s eagerly-anticipated Champions League final.
With kick-off not until 9pm local time, the fans have plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere in the city and soak up the Spanish sunshine with temperatures touching 32C.
It appeared the beer was flowing from first thing on matchday as thousands of Liverpool and Spurs fans gathered at their respective fan parks.
Liverpool supporters show their colours at the club’s fan zone in the centre of Madrid ahead of Saturday night’s final
Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos arrives at the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid with the Champions League trophy
Thousands of Liverpool fans at their fan zone in Madrid city centre on Saturday ahead of the Champions League final
Tottenham fans pictured at their fan zone in Madrid ahead of Saturday night’s game at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium
An estimated 100,000 supporters of the two Premier League clubs have descended on Madrid for Saturday night’s final
The beer was flowing from first thing on Saturday as fans of both teams worked through their repertoire of songs and chants
Liverpool fans let off flares as they party in Madrid, where the sun was shining and temperatures reached 32C on matchday
A Spurs fan lets off a smoke bomb at their fan zone in what was very much t-shirt and shorts weather in the Spanish capital
Supporters were kept entertained by live bands and other entertainment while others got the atmosphere going with renditions of their favourite terrace chants.
Others enjoyed a kickaround in what was very much t-shirt and shorts weather in Madrid.
Those out of the estimated 100,000 who have travelled to the Spanish capital lucky enough to have tickets will make their way to Atletico Madrid’s impressive Wanda Metropolitano stadium in the early evening.
Those without tickets will have to find a bar in which to watch the game on television after UEFA and local authorities made the decision not to put up big screens to show the game in the fan zones.
Both clubs were allocated just 17,000 tickets for the final but several times that number have made their way out to Spain
Tottenham are in their first ever Champions League final, while Liverpool are attempting to lift the trophy for the sixth time
A Liverpool fan wearing a mask of their manager Jurgen Klopp pictured in downtown Madrid ahead of the final
Spurs fans enjoy the pre-match atmosphere in Madrid with sunny blue skies greeting supporters of both sides
Liverpool fans hold a funny banner for Divock Origi as they gather in the Felipe II square in the centre of MadridÂ
The beer was flowing from first thing on Saturday morning for these Spurs fans gathered at the official fan park
A Liverpool fan lifts up a cardboard cut-out of the European Cup as their team aim to win it for the sixth time in their history
A young Spurs fan is lifted above the crowd as hundreds of people queue for the bar in the team’s Madrid fan zone
These Liverpool fans made an early trip to the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, which will host Saturday evening’s final
It appeared an optimistic few hadn’t quite given up hope of getting a ticket for the match and were walking around with ‘ticket needed’ signs.
UEFA and the Spanish police have urged fans not to be caught out by counterfeit tickets circulating on the black market.
Spanish police have seized fake steward bibs, imitation devices for the technical ticket check and false accreditations as demand for final tickets intensified.
The quest to get tickets – both clubs got less than 17,000 each – has become almost impossible.
UEFA issued a warning about fake tickets circulating on the black market and police have stepped up their clampdown on what is an organised attempt to defraud supporters or – at worst – steal their authentic tickets.
Tottenham fans have flocked to Madrid in their thousands in anticipation of seeing their club win the trophy for the first time
The meeting of Liverpool and Spurs is only the second all-English final in the history of the Champions League
Spurs fans in full voice as they enjoy the hours leading up to the 9pm local time (8pm UK time) kick-off on Saturday night
A Liverpool fan is lost amid a haze of red smoke at the Felipe II fan zone in downtown Madrid on Saturday morning
A group of Spurs fans from north Devon enjoying the sunshine of Madrid ahead of the eagerly-anticipated final
A Liverpool fan is lifted shoulder-high above the crowds as the hours tick by before the Champions League final
A group of Tottenham fans pose for a picture in front of a billboard recalling their quarter-final success over Manchester CityÂ
Liverpool fans enjoy a kickabout in one of the squares in central Madrid amid a party atmosphere ahead of the finalÂ
Liverpool fans pose for a picture in the Felipe II square, where thousands of Reds have gathered in the club’s fan zone
Two Liverpool fans with an inflatable European Cup trophy pose in front of a giant replica of it near the Madrid royal palace
A Tottenham fan on the hunt for a spare ticket outside the Wanda Metropolitano early on Saturday as the final nearsÂ
A group of Liverpool fans from Austria pose with their flag in the centre of Madrid ahead of the Champions League final
A Spurs fan waves a blue and white flag in the club fan zone ahead of Saturday night’s final at the Wanda Metropolitano
Rumours swept the city that 4,000 official tickets would be released on Saturday morning but this has been dismissed by UEFA.
‘The Spanish police have seized fake steward bibs, fake devices for the technical ticket check, as well as fake accreditations,’ said a statement from European football’s governing body.
‘This makes us believe that an organised group of people, impersonating genuine stewards or officials might try to act as if they were conducting the visual or technical ticket check, with the aim of stealing tickets during such controls.
‘Supporters should therefore make sure they only show their tickets at the clearly marked check zones and not to individuals or small groups of people who could be wearing fake bibs and might approach them on the way to the stadium, outside of the official check zones.’
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