This season's Champions League final, a meeting between holders Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, is finally here. Get ready for Saturday's match with our comprehensive preview.
The lowdown 📝
What: 71st European Cup final
When: Saturday, May 30 (12 p.m. ET)
Where: Puskas Arena (Budapest, Hungary)
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (Germany)
How to watch 📺
| Country | Network |
|---|---|
| U.S. 🇺🇸 | CBS / TUDN / Paramount+ / DAZN |
| Canada 🇨🇦 | DAZN |
Betting odds 🤑
| PSG | Draw (Extra Time) | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| +120 | +230 | +220 |
Key questions❓
How will Arsenal deal with that attack?
Luis Enrique's attack in full flow is probably the finest sight in the global game. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has scored 10 goals in this edition of the Champions League and has more goal involvements in the knockout stages (seven goals and three assists) than any other player. The Paris Saint-Germain winger, along with Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and super-sub Bradley Barcola, bring a relentlessness that is without compare elsewhere in Europe.
Arsenal's defenders relish battles, and their deep line will reduce PSG's opportunities to break with speed. But the threat of PSG in one-on-ones, especially when the ball is at Kvaratskhelia's feet, is considerable. There will be a lot of onus on Arsenal's wingers to support their full-backs out of possession.
No team in the tournament has scored more goals than PSG this season (44). And no team has conceded fewer than Arsenal (six). Best attack against best defense. It's a classic matchup.
Can PSG cope with Arsenal's set-pieces?
Arsenal's emphasis on set-pieces as they won their first Premier League title in 22 years was haughtily dismissed as ugly by many onlookers. But it was damn effective. Mikel Arteta's side logged an all-time Premier League record of 25 goals from set-pieces. They were most effective from corner-kicks, scoring 19 goals via that method - another Premier League record.
It's vital that PSG don't give away too many corners in the final, and they must be prepared to repel danger with grappling (within the laws of the game) and perfectly timed leaps for headers. Only three out of the 22 goals PSG have conceded during their run to the final have come from set-pieces, which is a commendable record. But let's make it abundantly clear: This will be the first time this season that PSG have faced anything like the challenge of trying to pin down Gabriel while a delivery is being whipped straight to the center-back's forehead.
Will the next Ballon d'Or winner be playing?
The current Ballon d'Or holder, Dembele, won soccer's top individual award after hoisting the Champions League trophy last season. Though there are some notable exceptions in recent years, winning the Champions League often helps provide a clear path to the coveted accolade. So, there's a decent chance that the world's best player will be sparkling in Budapest.
The main candidates for each team are Arsenal's all-action midfielder Declan Rice and, once again, PSG forward Dembele - and both players could strengthen their cases with World Cup success this summer. It seems cruel that Kvaratskhelia will be considered a relative outsider for the Ballon d'Or because he represents European minnow Georgia on the international stage.
Despite the Champions League final featuring plenty of strong contenders for the award, Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane is the current favorite after his prolific season. With this year's ceremony being moved from Paris to London to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Stanley Matthews' inaugural Ballon d'Or win in 1956, perhaps the stars are aligning for an Englishman to take home the honor again?
Injury updates 🤕
Projected XIs 👀
PSG (4-3-3): Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Joao Neves; Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): David Raya; Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori; Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard; Kai Havertz
Kit matchup 👕
Both teams will wear their home colors in Budapest.
🏟️ Puskás Aréna
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 26, 2026
📌 Budapest #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/LfXOs1MUKG
Path to the final 🏟
By the numbers 🔢
Tournament pedigree 🏆
Best European Cup finish for both clubs
PSG: Champions (2025)
Paris Saint-Germain finally won their first Champions League crown last year - and they did so in style. Doue scored twice, while Hakimi, Kvaratskhelia, and Senny Mayulu each got a goal in a 5-0 evisceration of Simone Inzaghi's Inter Milan in the final. Luis Enrique's squad is largely unchanged from that thumping victory in Munich.
Arsenal: Finalists (2006)
Arsenal are arguably the biggest club to never win Europe's top prize. Their moment nearly came in 2006, when they faced Barcelona in the final. Eighteen-year-old Messi, who was dealing with a thigh injury, was an unused substitute for Barca. The Gunners, meanwhile, were dealt a serious blow when goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off in the 18th minute, but they still took a lead into halftime, thanks to a header from Sol Campbell. Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti scored in the last 15 minutes to give Barcelona the victory.
Interesting facts 🤔
1 - This is the first time a European Cup or Champions League final will be held in Budapest. It was a long-term aim of former leader Viktor Orban, who played soccer in Hungary's lower leagues, to bring the showpiece to the capital. His successor as prime minister, Peter Magyar, hasn't been complimentary about the expensive stadiums assembled during Orban's reign and has rued the state of sports at the grassroots level.
7 - Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal have met seven times before in UEFA competitions - including in last year's Champions League semifinal - with two wins each and three draws.
9 - Nine Arsenal players completed over 2,000 minutes in the Premier League this season, with Rice getting the most game time of all outfield players with 3,330 minutes. Only three Paris Saint-Germain players surpassed 2,000 minutes in Ligue 1, with Dembele doing a full 90-minute shift just once and Kvaratskhelia completing merely three matches. Will PSG's freshness help get them over the line in the final?
25 - Arsenal will become the 25th different club to lift the European Cup if they can overcome PSG. English rivals Manchester United, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Manchester City have already collected the prestigious prize. Arsenal, Leeds United, and Tottenham Hotspur haven't won but have been beaten finalists. PSG lost the 2020 final before winning for the first time in 2025.
64 - PSG don't do bore draws. The French giants have never drawn 0-0 in the Champions League knockout phase - a run of 64 matches.
Prediction 🔮
PSG 2, Arsenal 1
Paris Saint-Germain's experience from last season's final - and how they blitzed Inter to win the title - puts them in good stead, while Arsenal arrive in Hungary with achier legs after a wearing season domestically. One of Arteta's biggest selection conundrums is in the full-back positions, and a misstep there could leave Arsenal extremely vulnerable to Doue and Kvaratskhelia.
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