The 2026 UEFA Champions League final (Hungarian: 2026-os UEFA Bajnokok Ligája döntő) 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 the reigning champions since 2018.
 Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 2025–26 UEFA Champions League | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| After extra time Paris Saint-Germain won 4–3 on penalties | |||||||
| Date | 30 May 2026 | ||||||
| Venue | Puskás Aréna, Budapest | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Daniel Siebert (Germany)[2] | ||||||
| Attendance | 61,035[3] | ||||||
| Weather | Sunny 24 °C (75 °F) 43% humidity[4] | ||||||
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
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2026) |
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
editIn 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) |
|---|---|
 Paris Saint-Germain |
2 (2020, 2025) |
 Arsenal |
1 (2006) |
Venue
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Host selection
editOn 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]
| Association | Stadium | City | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
 Hungary | Puskás Aréna | Budapest | 67,215 |
 Italy | San Siro | Milan | 75,817 |
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
editNote: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| Paris Saint-Germain |
Round | Arsenal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | League phase | Opponent | Result | ||||
| Atalanta |
4–0 (H) | Matchday 1 |  Athletic Bilbao |
2–0 (A) | ||||
| Barcelona |
2–1 (A) | Matchday 2 |  Olympiacos |
2–0 (H) | ||||
 Bayer Leverkusen |
7–2 (A) | Matchday 3 | Atlético Madrid |
4–0 (H) | ||||
| Bayern Munich |
1–2 (H) | Matchday 4 |  Slavia Prague |
3–0 (A) | ||||
| Tottenham Hotspur |
5–3 (H) | Matchday 5 | Bayern Munich |
3–1 (H) | ||||
| Athletic Bilbao |
0–0 (A) | Matchday 6 |  Club Brugge |
3–0 (A) | ||||
 Sporting CP |
1–2 (A) | Matchday 7 | Inter Milan |
3–1 (A) | ||||
| Newcastle United |
1–1 (H) | Matchday 8 |  Kairat |
3–2 (H) | ||||
| 11th place Advanced to knockout phase play-offs |
Final position | 1st place Advanced to round of 16 | ||||||
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Knockout phase | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Monaco |
5–4 | 3–2 (A) | 2–2 (H) | Play-offs | Bye | |||
| Chelsea |
8–2 | 5–2 (H) | 3–0 (A) | Round of 16 | Bayer Leverkusen |
3–1 | 1–1 (A) | 2–0 (H) |
| Liverpool |
4–0 | 2–0 (H) | 2–0 (A) | Quarter-finals | Sporting CP |
1–0 | 1–0 (A) | 0–0 (H) |
| Bayern Munich |
6–5 | 5–4 (H) | 1–1 (A) | Semi-finals | Atlético Madrid |
2–1 | 1–1 (A) | 1–0 (H) |
Opening ceremony
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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
editSummary
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This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2026) |
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]
Arsenal immediately switched to a defensive formation to protect their lead. Paris Saint-Germain had most of the possession for the rest of the game, and Arsenal would not register another shot on target.[citation needed] At the end of the first half, Arsenal were awarded a corner kick, but referee Daniel Siebert deemed that Bukayo Saka took too long to set up and blew the whistle for half time before the corner was taken.[citation needed]
During the second half, in the 61st minute Arsenal's Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia inside the penalty box. The referee awarded Paris Saint-Germain a penalty, which was scored by Ousmane Dembélé, tying the score at 1–1. Arsenal maintained their defensive tactics and Paris Saint-Germain continued to have over 70% of the possession. In the 77th minute, a shot by Kvaratskhelia was deflected onto the post by Myles Lewis-Skelly. Paris Saint-Germain continued to attack in the final minutes, with a shot by Vitinha narrowly missing in the 89th minute, and Bradley Barcola hitting a shot into the side netting in the sixth minute of stoppage time. 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 first period of extra time, in minute 102 Paris Saint-Germain's Nuno Mendes appeared to foul Noni Madueke in the penalty area. The Arsenal players vociferously claimed a penalty, but the referee awarded a free kick to Paris Saint-Germain instead, because it was determined by the referee that Madueke had grabbed Mendes' arm.[citation needed] The referee issued yellow cards to Arsenal player Declan Rice and manager Mikel Arteta for their repeated protests. There was no further scoring, 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 Paris Saint-Germain's Mendes having his penalty saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. Four successful attempts followed (two for each team) by Rice, Hakimi, Martinelli, and Beraldo. This left Paris Saint-Germain 4–3 ahead with only one penalty to come, to be taken by Arsenal's Gabriel. His shot went wide above the crossbar, giving Paris Saint-Germain the victory.[16]
Scorecard
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          Paris Saint-Germain[4]
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     Arsenal[4]
|
|
Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[2]
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Match rules[18]
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Statistics
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Aftermath
editFollowing 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.[20][21] 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.[22]
See also
edit- 2026 UEFA Europa League final
- 2026 UEFA Conference League final
- 2026 UEFA Women's Champions League final
- 2026 UEFA Women's Europa Cup final
- 2026 UEFA Super Cup
- Arsenal F.C. in European football
- Paris Saint-Germain FC in international football
- 2025–26 Arsenal F.C. season
- 2025–26 Paris Saint-Germain FC season
- 2026 Paris Saint-Germain celebration riots
References
edit- 1 2 "Vitinha named official 2026 UEFA Champions League final Player of the Match". UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- 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.
- 1 2 "Full Time Report Final – Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal" (PDF). UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Tactical Line-ups – Final – Saturday 30 May 2026" (PDF). UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Budapest to host UEFA Champions League Final 2026". Union of European Football Associations. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ "Paris retain Champions League: Holders edge Arsenal on penalties". UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Anand, Anish (7 May 2026). "UCL stats: Kvaratskhelia's record seven-game streak, Dembélé's 16 goal contributions, Arsenal unbeaten in 14". ESPN.
- ↑ "UEFA Champions League final kick-off moves to 18:00CET as of 2025/26 season". UEFA. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ↑ Zelealem, Fasika; Davies, Mathew (6 May 2026). "When is the Champions League final? Location and ticket information". Wales Online. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Nine national associations interested in hosting UEFA club competition finals in 2026 and 2027". UEFA. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "UEFA Executive Committee to meet in Dublin". Union of European Football Associations. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ "The Killers to headline UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi®". UEFA.com. 29 March 2026. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
- ↑ "PSG beat Arsenal on penalties to defend Champions League title". ESPN. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
- ↑ "PSG 1-1 Arsenal (May 30, 2026) Game Analysis". www.espn.com. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ "Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "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.
- 1 2 3 4 "Team statistics" (PDF). UEFA. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ Sekulich, Harry (31 May 2026). "Hundreds arrested in Paris after Champions League final". BBC. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
- ↑ "Dozens arrested in Paris clashes on PSG victory night". Le Monde. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "Jubilant PSG supporters spill onto Paris streets, some clashes with police". Reuters. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
External links
edit- 2026 UEFA Champions League Final at uefa.com