The 2025–26 UEFA Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League final is confirmed. ArsenalTeam·Arsenal and Paris Saint-GermainTeam·Paris Saint-Germain will contest the title on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at the Puskás ArénaVenue·Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary—a historic occasion as the first time the competition's showpiece has been staged in Hungary.
ArsenalTeam·Arsenal secured their place in the final with a 2–1 aggregate victory over Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals. Bukayo SakaPlayer·Bukayo Saka's goal in the 45th minute of the second leg at Emirates StadiumVenue·Emirates Stadium proved decisive, adding to their 1–1 draw from the first encounter. The North London club's path to the final has been marked by dominance: they topped the league phase unbeaten across 14 European matches, winning all eight league games against elite opposition including Bayern MunichTeam·Bayern Munich and Inter Milan before progressing through knockout ties against Bayer LeverkusenTeam·Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CPTeam·Sporting CP, and Atlético Madrid.
For ArsenalTeam·Arsenal, this represents only the second Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League final in the club's history. Their first and only previous appearance came exactly 20 years ago, when they lost 2–1 to BarcelonaTeam·Barcelona at the Stade de France in Paris in 2006. A victory in Budapest would make them the 25th unique winner of the competition and the second consecutive new champion, following PSG's triumph last season.
PSG, the defending champions, will enter the final as the designated 'home' team for administrative purposes. The French club overcame Bayern MunichTeam·Bayern Munich in a dramatic semi-final, securing a 6–5 aggregate victory to reach the final. A win would make PSG only the second club in the Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League era to successfully defend the title, matching Real MadridTeam·Real Madrid's achievement of winning back-to-back crowns between 2016 and 2018.
The final will kick off at 18:00 CET (5 p.m. BST, 12 p.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT)—earlier than the traditional 8 p.m. BST start time. UEFA implemented this change to enhance the matchday experience and benefit fans, teams, and host cities. The Puskás ArénaVenue·Puskás Aréna, with a capacity of 67,000, previously hosted the 2020 UEFA Super Cup and the 2023 Europa League final but has never staged a Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League final until now.
The match will conclude the 71st season of Europe's elite club competition and the 34th season since it was rebranded from the European Cup to the UEFA Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League. Should the teams be level after 90 minutes, extra time will follow, with penalties determining the winner if necessary.
PSG fans celebrate during the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Arsenal. (ZUMA Press Wire/IMAGO)
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