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2026 UEFA Champions League final

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2026 UEFA Champions League final
Match programme cover
Event2025–26 UEFA Champions League
Paris Saint-Germain Arsenal
French Football Federation The Football Association
1 1
After extra time
Paris Saint-Germain won 4–3 on penalties
Date30 May 2026 (2026-05-30)
VenuePuskás Aréna, Budapest
Man of the MatchVitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)[1]
RefereeDaniel Siebert (Germany)[2]
Attendance61,035[3]
WeatherSunny
24 °C (75 °F)
43% humidity[4]
← 2025
2027 →

The 2026 UEFA Champions League final was the final match of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League, the 71st season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 34th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. It was played at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary,[5] on 30 May 2026 between French club Paris Saint-Germain, the defending champions, and English club Arsenal. This was the first final to include a titleholder team since 2018.

Paris Saint-Germain won the match 4–3 on penalties, following a 1–1 draw after extra time, for their second UEFA Champions League title, becoming the second club to win back-to-back titles in the UEFA Champions League era, matching Real Madrid's feat in the 2016–17 edition.[6][7] As winners, Paris Saint-Germain earned the right to play against Aston Villa, the winners of the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League, in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup. They will also compete in the final of the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and qualified for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

Background

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Paris Saint-Germain reached their third European Cup/Champions League final overall and second consecutively, having lost to Bayern Munich in 2020 before winning the title in 2025. They also became the first team since Liverpool in 2018 and 2019 to reach two consecutive Champions League finals. This was their seventh UEFA competition final overall, having also triumphed in the 1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final and 2025 UEFA Super Cup. They lost the Cup Winners' Cup final in 1997 as holders, as well as losing the 1996 UEFA Super Cup. Paris Saint-Germain was the first French team to appear in three European Cup/Champions League finals, surpassing their rivals Marseille, who lost in 1991 before their victory in 1993, as well as Stade Reims, who lost both the 1956 and 1959 European Cup finals to Real Madrid.

Arsenal reached their second European Cup/Champions League final, having lost to Barcelona in 2006. This was their eighth UEFA competition final overall, having triumphed in the 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup final. They lost the Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1980 and 1995—the latter as holders, as well as losing the 1994 European Super Cup, 2000 UEFA Cup final, and 2019 UEFA Europa League final.

Both clubs won their respective leagues and were eliminated from other cup competitions, thus aiming for a continental double. This was the first time since 2020 where both Champions League finalists were champions of their respective domestic leagues. The two teams met in the 2025 semi-finals, with Paris Saint-Germain winning both legs (1–0 at the Emirates Stadium and then 2–1 at the Parc des Princes).

The 2026 final was the fourth European Cup final between sides from two different capital cities after 1962, 1966 and 1971.[8]

The "home" team (for administrative purposes) was predetermined as the winners of semi-final 1 (Paris Saint-Germain). This was the first Champions League final to kick off at 18:00 CEST, three hours earlier than previous editions. UEFA stated that the change was made to "enhance the matchday experience and benefit fans, teams and host cities".[9][10]

Previous finals

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In the following table, finals until 1992 were in the European Cup era and since 1993 were in the UEFA Champions League era.

Team Previous final appearances (bold indicates winners)
French Football Federation Paris Saint-Germain 2 (2020, 2025)
The Football Association Arsenal 1 (2006)

Venue

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The Puskás Aréna in Budapest hosted the final.

Host selection

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On 17 May 2023, UEFA opened the bidding process for the final, which was held in parallel with that of the 2027 final. Interested bidders could bid for either one or both of the finals. Additionally, bidding associations could only be appointed one UEFA final in a given year. The proposed venues had to include natural grass and be ranked as a UEFA category four stadium, with a gross capacity of at least 70,000 preferred. The bidding timeline was as follows:[11]

  • 17 May 2023: Applications formally invited
  • 17 July 2023: Closing date for registering intention to bid
  • 26 July 2023: Bid requirements made available to bidders
  • 15 November 2023: Submission of preliminary bid dossier
  • 21 February 2024: Submission of final bid dossier
  • 22 May 2024: Appointment of host

UEFA announced on 18 July 2023 that two associations had expressed interest in hosting the 2026 and 2027 finals during the first bidding process.[12]

Bidding associations for 2026 and 2027 UEFA Champions League finals
AssociationStadiumCityCapacity
 HungaryPuskás ArénaBudapest67,215
 ItalySan SiroMilan75,817

The Puskás Aréna was selected as the venue by the UEFA Executive Committee during their meeting in Dublin, Ireland, on 22 May 2024.[13][5]

Route to the final

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Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

French Football Federation Paris Saint-Germain Round The Football Association Arsenal
Opponent Result League phase Opponent Result
Italian Football Federation Atalanta 4–0 (H) Matchday 1 Royal Spanish Football Federation Athletic Bilbao 2–0 (A)
Royal Spanish Football Federation Barcelona 2–1 (A) Matchday 2 Hellenic Football Federation Olympiacos 2–0 (H)
German Football Association Bayer Leverkusen 7–2 (A) Matchday 3 Royal Spanish Football Federation Atlético Madrid 4–0 (H)
German Football Association Bayern Munich 1–2 (H) Matchday 4 Football Association of the Czech Republic Slavia Prague 3–0 (A)
The Football Association Tottenham Hotspur 5–3 (H) Matchday 5 German Football Association Bayern Munich 3–1 (H)
Royal Spanish Football Federation Athletic Bilbao 0–0 (A) Matchday 6 Royal Belgian Football Association Club Brugge 3–0 (A)
Portuguese Football Federation Sporting CP 1–2 (A) Matchday 7 Italian Football Federation Inter Milan 3–1 (A)
The Football Association Newcastle United 1–1 (H) Matchday 8 Kazakhstan Football Federation Kairat 3–2 (H)
11th place
Advanced to knockout phase play-offs		 Final position 1st place
Advanced to round of 16
Opponent Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score 1st leg 2nd leg Knockout phase Opponent Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score 1st leg 2nd leg
French Football Federation Monaco 5–4 3–2 (A) 2–2 (H) Play-offs Bye
The Football Association Chelsea 8–2 5–2 (H) 3–0 (A) Round of 16 German Football Association Bayer Leverkusen 3–1 1–1 (A) 2–0 (H)
The Football Association Liverpool 4–0 2–0 (H) 2–0 (A) Quarter-finals Portuguese Football Federation Sporting CP 1–0 1–0 (A) 0–0 (H)
German Football Association Bayern Munich 6–5 5–4 (H) 1–1 (A) Semi-finals Royal Spanish Football Federation Atlético Madrid 2–1 1–1 (A) 1–0 (H)

Opening ceremony

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American rock band The Killers (pictured in 2017) were announced to perform at the 2026 UEFA Champions League final's opening ceremony.

On 26 March 2026, American indie rock band The Killers were announced as the performers for the final's Pepsi opening ceremony, and was promoted by a trailer starring Killers frontman Brandon Flowers and football star David Beckham on a short film named The Race Begins.[14]

Match

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Summary

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Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha (left) was named man of the match, while his opponent midfielder Kai Havertz (right) scored the earliest goal of the match.

In the sixth minute of the match, an attempted clearance by Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos deflected off Arsenal's Leandro Trossard. The deflected ball fell to Arsenal striker Kai Havertz, who beat the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Matvey Safonov from a tight angle, putting Arsenal 1–0 ahead. It would be their only shot on target throughout the match.[15]

In the 61st minute, Arsenal's Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia inside the penalty box. Ousmane Dembélé converted the resulting penalty kick, tying the score at 1–1. In the 77th minute, a shot by Kvaratskhelia was deflected onto the post by Myles Lewis-Skelly.[16] By the end of the second half, Paris Saint-Germain had made 18 attempts on goal (four on target), while Arsenal had made four attempts (one on target). With the score still tied, the game went to extra time.

In the 103rd minute, Paris Saint-Germain's Nuno Mendes tackled Noni Madueke to the ground in his team's penalty area, prompting appeals for a penalty kick from Arsenal players. However, the referee awarded a free kick to Paris Saint-Germain instead, adjudging that Madueke had grabbed Mendes' arm,[17] and issued yellow cards to Arsenal player Declan Rice and manager Mikel Arteta for their protests.[18] Extra time ended with the score tied 1–1 and the match proceeded to a penalty shoot-out.

Paris Saint-Germain went first in the shoot-out, with Gonçalo Ramos converting his penalty. This was followed by successful attempts from Arsenal's Viktor Gyökeres and Paris Saint-Germain's Désiré Doué. The first miss was by Arsenal's Eberechi Eze, who shot wide left, which was immediately followed by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya saving Mendes' attempt. Four successful attempts followed, two for each team, by Rice, Achraf Hakimi, Gabriel Martinelli, and Lucas Beraldo, leaving Paris Saint-Germain ahead 4–3 with one penalty attempt to come before the sudden-death round. Gabriel sent his shot over the bar, giving Paris Saint-Germain the victory.[19]

Details

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Paris Saint-Germain French Football Federation1–1 (a.e.t.)The Football Association Arsenal
 Report[20]
Penalties
 4–3
Attendance: 61,035[3]
Paris Saint-Germain[4]
Arsenal[4]
GK39Russia Matvey Safonov
RB2Morocco Achraf Hakimi
CB5Brazil Marquinhos (c)downward-facing red arrow 106'
CB51Ecuador Willian Pacho
LB25Portugal Nuno MendesYellow card 118'
RM87Portugal João NevesYellow card 90+6'
CM17Portugal Vitinhadownward-facing red arrow 106'
LM8Spain Fabián Ruizdownward-facing red arrow 95'
RF14France Désiré Doué
CF10France Ousmane Dembélédownward-facing red arrow 90+6'
LF7Georgia (country) Khvicha Kvaratskheliadownward-facing red arrow 83'
Substitutes:
GK30France Lucas Chevalier
GK89Italy Renato Marin
DF4Brazil Lucas Beraldoupward-facing green arrow 106'
DF6Ukraine Illia Zabarnyiupward-facing green arrow 106'
DF21France Lucas Hernandez
MF19South Korea Lee Kang-in
MF24France Senny Mayulu
MF27Spain Dro Fernández
MF33France Warren Zaïre-Emeryupward-facing green arrow 95'
FW9Portugal Gonçalo Ramosupward-facing green arrow 90+6'
FW29France Bradley Barcolaupward-facing green arrow 83'
FW49Senegal Ibrahim Mbaye
Manager:
Spain Luis Enrique
GK1Spain David Raya
RB3Spain Cristhian MosqueraYellow card 47'downward-facing red arrow 66'
CB2France William Saliba
CB6Brazil Gabriel Magalhães
LB5Ecuador Piero Hincapié
CM41England Declan RiceYellow card 103'
CM49England Myles Lewis-Skellydownward-facing red arrow 91'
RW7England Bukayo SakaYellow card 54'downward-facing red arrow 83'
AM8Norway Martin Ødegaard (c)downward-facing red arrow 67'
LW19Belgium Leandro Trossarddownward-facing red arrow 83'
CF29Germany Kai Havertzdownward-facing red arrow 91'
Substitutes:
GK13Spain Kepa Arrizabalaga
DF12Netherlands Jurriën Timberupward-facing green arrow 66'
DF33Italy Riccardo Calafiori
MF10England Eberechi Ezeupward-facing green arrow 91'
MF16Denmark Christian Nørgaard
MF20England Noni Maduekeupward-facing green arrow 83'
MF23Spain Mikel Merino
MF36Spain Martín Zubimendiupward-facing green arrow 91'
MF56England Max Dowman
FW9Brazil Gabriel Jesus
FW11Brazil Gabriel Martinelliupward-facing green arrow 83'
FW14Sweden Viktor GyökeresYellow card 98'upward-facing green arrow 67'
Manager:
Spain Mikel ArtetaYellow card 103'

Man of the Match:
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)[1]

Assistant referees:[2]
Jan Seidel (Germany)
Rafael Foltyn (Germany)
Fourth official:[2]
Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
Reserve assistant referee:[2]
Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (Spain)
Video assistant referee:[2]
Bastian Dankert (Germany)
Assistant video assistant referee:[2]
Robert Schröder (Germany)
Support video assistant referee:[2]
Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)

Match rules[21]

  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level
  • Maximum of twelve named substitutes
  • Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time
  • Maximum of three substitution opportunities, with a fourth allowed in extra time

Statistics

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Aftermath

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Following PSG's victory, tens of thousands of fans celebrated on the streets of Paris. Violent clashes erupted as the celebrations developed into rioting; there were 283 arrests in Paris and another 133 in the rest of France.[23][24] The French Interior Ministry deployed 22,000 security officers across the country, including 8,000 in the capital. Similar riots had occurred the previous year following PSG's victory in the 2025 final.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "Vitinha named official 2026 UEFA Champions League final Player of the Match". UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Referee teams for 2026 UEFA club competition finals announced". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Full Time Report Final – Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal" (PDF). UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Tactical Line-ups – Final – Saturday 30 May 2026" (PDF). UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Budapest to host UEFA Champions League Final 2026". Union of European Football Associations. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  6. ↑ "Paris retain Champions League: Holders edge Arsenal on penalties". UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "Champions League holders: Paris join Real Madrid as back-to-back winners". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Anand, Anish (7 May 2026). "UCL stats: Kvaratskhelia's record seven-game streak, Dembélé's 16 goal contributions, Arsenal unbeaten in 14". ESPN.
  9. ↑ "UEFA Champions League final kick-off moves to 18:00CET as of 2025/26 season". UEFA. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  10. ↑ Zelealem, Fasika; Davies, Mathew (6 May 2026). "When is the Champions League final? Location and ticket information". Wales Online. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Invitation to bid to host the UEFA Champions League Finals 2026 & 2027, UEFA Europa League Finals 2026 & 2027, UEFA Europa Conference League Finals 2026 & 2027 and UEFA Women's Champions League Finals 2026 & 2027". UEFA Circular Letter. No. 24/2023. Union of European Football Associations. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "Nine national associations interested in hosting UEFA club competition finals in 2026 and 2027". UEFA. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "UEFA Executive Committee to meet in Dublin". Union of European Football Associations. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  14. ↑ "The Killers to headline UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi®". UEFA.com. 29 March 2026. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "PSG beat Arsenal on penalties to defend Champions League title". ESPN. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  16. ↑ Rouse, Daniel (30 May 2026). "Champions League final analysis: PSG beat Arsenal on penalties". TheScore. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  17. ↑ Davies, Andy (30 May 2026). "VAR review: UCL ref got the Mendes-Madueke call right, but it was close". ESPN. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Hewitt, Matthew (30 May 2026). "Declan Rice and Mikel Arteta explode as Arsenal denied Champions League final penalty". football.London. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "PSG 1-1 Arsenal (May 30, 2026) Game Analysis". ESPN. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  21. ↑ "Regulations of the UEFA Champions League – 2025/26 Season". UEFA. 27 June 2025. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "Team statistics" (PDF). UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  23. ↑ Sekulich, Harry (31 May 2026). "Hundreds arrested in Paris after Champions League final". BBC. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  24. ↑ "Dozens arrested in Paris clashes on PSG victory night". Le Monde. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  25. ↑ "Jubilant PSG supporters spill onto Paris streets, some clashes with police". Reuters. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
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