Match programme cover
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| Event | 2025–26 UEFA Champions League | ||||||
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| Date | 30 May 2026 | ||||||
| Venue | Puskás Aréna, Budapest | ||||||
The 2026 UEFA Champions League final will be 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 will be played at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary,[1] on 30 May 2026 between French club Paris Saint-Germain, the defending champions, and English club Arsenal. This will be the first final to include the reigning champions since 2018.
The 2026 final will be the fourth European Cup final between sides from two different capital cities after 1962, 1966 and 1971.[2]
The winners will earn the right to play against the winners of the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, compete in the final of the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and qualify for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.
Background
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. This is 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 is the first French team to appear in three Champions League finals.
Arsenal reached their second European Cup/Champions League final, having lost to Barcelona in 2006. This is 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 are currently leading their respective leagues and have been eliminated from other cup competitions, thus aiming for a continental double.
Previous finals
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) |
|---|---|
 Paris Saint-Germain |
2 (2020, 2025) |
 Arsenal |
1 (2006) |
Venue
Host selection
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:[3]
- 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.[4]
| 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, Republic of Ireland, on 22 May 2024.[5][1]
Route to the final
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| Paris Saint-Germain |
Round | Arsenal |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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| 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
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.[6]
Match
Details
The winner of semi-final 1 will be designated as the "home" team for administrative purposes.
On 28 August 2025, UEFA announced that starting from 2026, the kick-off time for the Champions League final would be at 18:00 CEST, earlier than the previous 21:00. The decision was designed to "enhance the matchday experience and benefit fans, teams and host cities".[7]
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Match rules[9]
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See also
- 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
References
- ^ a b "Budapest to host UEFA Champions League Final 2026". Union of European Football Associations. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ Anand, Anish (7 May 2026). "UCL stats: Kvaratskhelia's record seven-game streak, Dembélé's 16 goal contributions, Arsenal unbeaten in 14". ESPN.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "UEFA Champions League final kick-off moves to 18:00CET as of 2025/26 season". UEFA. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ "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.