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Verstappen would “give up F1 World Championship” to see Hirving Lozano win the Champions League
Three-time Formula One World Champion Verstappen is a big soccer fan and is desperate for Chucky’s PSV Eindhoven to triumph in the UCL.
Max Verstappen continued his dominance of Formula One on Sunday, coming from sixth on the starting grid to win the United States Grand Prix for the third year running. The Dutchman had already been crowned World Drivers’ Champion before the race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas, where he secured a record-equalling 15th victory of the season. However, there is one triumph that has continued to elude the 26-year-old, and it has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Mexican soccer star Hirving “Chucky” Lozano.
Verstappen also rooting for USMNT trio at PSV
Born in Belgium to a Dutch father (former F1 contenter Jos Verstappen), the Red Bull Racing driver is a big soccer fan and follower of PSV Eindhoven, who Lozano rejoined in the summer after four years with Italian club Napoli. USMNT trio Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi are also on the club’s roster for 2023-24.
Formula One failure or Champions League glory?
During his time in Austin, Verstappen was asked in an interview by Dutch broadcaster Viaplay Sport Nederland to choose between Formula One failure for himself or Champions League glory for his time. And such is his love for PSV, he had doubt about his response: “In that case, I don’t win a race for a whole year and PSV win the Champions League.”
Could PSV win the Champions League?
PSV have actually won the European Cup, the Champions League’s predecessor, defeating Benfica at the end of the 1987-88 season, nine years before Verstappen was born. The financial landscape of European soccer has changed considerably since then, though, which makes it almost impossible for clubs from “smaller” countries to compete to win.
Since another Dutch club, Ajax, won the trophy in 1994-95, only once has a team from outside Europe’s so-called “top five leagues” (Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1) won the tournament - Portuguese side Porto in 2004.
This season, PSV are in a group with Premier League club Arsenal, Europa League holders Sevilla and French side Lens, and find themselves bottom of the standings with one point from two games. Progressing to the knockout rounds, let alone winning the competition, would be a considerable achievement, so Verstappen is likely safe to keep doing what he’s been doing on the race track.