Premier League champions Arsenal and defending European champions Paris Saint-Germain will clash in the 2026 UEFA Champions League final on Saturday at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
The showdown pits two of Europe’s most in-form sides against each other, with PSG seeking to retain the trophy they won last season and Arsenal chasing only the second Champions League title in the club’s history.
A victory for the French giants would make them just the second club in the modern Champions League era to successfully defend the title. The feat has only been achieved by Real Madrid, who won three consecutive crowns between 2016 and 2018.
Managed by Luis Enrique, PSG head into the final with confidence after a dominant campaign that included a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in last season’s final. They also knocked Arsenal out in the semi-finals a year ago, winning 3-1 on aggregate.
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Arsenal, however, arrive in Budapest buoyed by their recent Premier League triumph. Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners ended a 22-year wait for the English league title after finally overcoming the challenge of Manchester City.
While Arsenal celebrated domestic success, PSG continued their dominance in France by securing another Ligue 1 title, finishing ahead of Lens and extending an extraordinary run of 12 league titles in 14 seasons.
Team News
PSG were briefly concerned after star forward Ousmane Dembélé suffered a calf problem on the final day of the Ligue 1 season. However, the Ballon d’Or contender is expected to be available and should spearhead the attack alongside Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
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The French champions have also received positive news on defenders Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi, both of whom are fit for selection.
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Arsenal’s injury situation has improved with the return of Jurrien Timber after a lengthy absence due to a groin injury. However, defender Ben White remains unavailable.
Probable Line-ups
PSG (4-3-3):
Matvei Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, João Neves, Fabián Ruiz; Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1):
David Raya; Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Riccardo Calafiori; Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Leandro Trossard; Kai Havertz.
Match Details
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Venue: Puskás Aréna
City: Budapest
Date: Saturday, May 30
Kick-off: 5:00 p.m. WAT
Referee: Daniel Siebert
VAR: Bastian Dankert
Football fans in Nigeria can watch the final live on SuperSport.
