Al Jazeera will be introducing this season’s UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
Published May 28, 2026
Europe’s top club competition will conclude on Saturday with the UEFA Champions League final.
From the qualifying round to the general league stage and the drama of the final tournament, the tournament is divided into two teams.
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Al Jazeera presents the top 10 things you need to know about European football governing body UEFA’s marquee event.
Who will play in the Champions League final?
This year’s final will feature English Premier League side Arsenal, who defeated Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, and French giants Paris Saint-Germain, who defeated Bayern Munich in the last four.
Who was the last Champions League winner?
PSG are the defending champions who won this competition for the first time last season.
In the final, held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, the French club defeated Inter Milan with an astonishing 5-0 scoreline, humiliating the Italian Serie A club.
Desire Duet scored twice, cementing her place as one of the biggest names in the game at the young age of 19.
Achraf Hakimi was also on the scoresheet, along with Hviča Kvaratskhelia and Seni Mayur. Incredibly, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele missed out on the goal despite being one of the star players on the way to the final.
Who is the winner of this year’s final?
PSG are the favorites to defend their title, but Arsenal are seen as one of the emerging powers in European football.
Although the Gunners have never won Europe’s most admired football trophy, they have just completed a 22-year wait for promotion to the Premier League.
Who are the key players in PSG’s Champions League final?
Doue and Dembele remain key figures for PSG, although the latter is an injury doubt ahead of the final.
Hakimi is also one of the most famous players in Paris’ squad, but he is a major concern going into this match, having missed both legs of the semi-finals and the last four Ligue 1 games of the season due to injury.
Hviča Kvaratschelia is PSG’s top scorer in all competitions this season, with one goal ahead of Dembele’s 18. Bradley Barcelo has 13 goals and Duet has 12.
At the back, Brazil international Marquinhos leads PSG.
Who are Arsenal’s key players heading into the Champions League final?
Declan Rice is considered to be the heart of Arsenal’s squad, especially as the England international midfielder plays in the center of the park.
Viktor Gökeres has grown into a role leading the attack, with the Swedish international scoring 19 goals in his debut season with the North Londoners.
However, two players who are often regarded as having the magical touch for the Gunners are England internationals Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, who have scored 10 and seven goals respectively.
Like PSG, Arsenal also have a Brazilian powerhouse in Gabriel Magalhães at the back of the table.
Where will the Champions League final be held?
The final will be held at the Puskas Stadium in Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
The stadium, named after the country’s most famous soccer player, Ferenc Puskas, was rebuilt in 2017 and construction completed in preparation for its reopening in 2019. It has a capacity of 67,215 people.
What trophies have Arsenal and PSG already won this season?
Arsenal won their first league title since 2004, when Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ went unbeaten all season. The campaign moved into the penultimate game when Manchester City were unable to catch the North Londoners as they failed to win at Bournemouth. The Gunners also reached the League Cup final, but lost to City.
PSG finished six points behind Reims in the French league, winning the trophy by defeating their nearest challenger in the penultimate round.
This was their fifth consecutive league win and their 12th in 14 seasons, bringing their total number of League 1 wins to 14.
When is the Champions League final? What time is kick-off?
The match will take place on Saturday, with kick-off at 6pm (17:00 GMT).
Can I watch the Champions League final for free?
No, the UEFA Champions League is part of a worldwide subscription package sold by the continent’s governing body.
How can I follow the Champions League final?
Al Jazeera Sports will bring you a comprehensive build-up ahead of the match’s text commentary stream on Saturday before kick-off at 2pm (13:00 GMT).
