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Arsenal vs PSG Tickets | Champions League Final 2026 | Budapest
You will reserve your 2026 Champions League final tickets in our dedicated booking system. Saturday 30 May 2026 the Puskás Aréna, Budapest will be the largest club football night in Europe. Hungary will host the Champions League final for the first time and looks set to be a special event in a high-quality stadium that already demonstrated itself to have a fine reputation as home to the final in the Europa League in 2023. For the players involved, lifting this trophy is something none could rival — the Champions League is the holy grail of club football, and winning it proves to be the moment of any career.
The Champions League final: Arsenal vs PSG
The final is set. Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 30 May 2026. PSG beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in Munich to advance 5-4 on aggregate and book their place in a final that pits the Premier League leaders against the defending champions. For Arsenal, it is their first Champions League final in twenty years. For PSG, it is the chance to become back-to-back champions for the first time in the competition's history.
Arsenal's road to the final
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| League phase | Various | 1st place — 8 wins, 23 goals scored, 4 conceded |
| Round of 16 | Bayer Leverkusen | 3–1 (aggregate) |
| Quarter-final (1st leg) | Sporting Lisbon (away) | 0–1 (Havertz 90+3’) |
| Quarter-final (2nd leg) | Sporting Lisbon (home) | 0–0 |
| Semi-final (1st leg) | Atlético Madrid (away) | 1–1 (Gyökeres 43’ pen) |
| Semi-final (2nd leg) | Atlético Madrid (home) | 1–0 (Saka 44’) |
Arsenal's campaign has been defined by defensive excellence. Mikel Arteta's side kept clean sheets in ten of their thirteen Champions League matches, conceding just five goals across the entire campaign. No side in the competition has been harder to score against. They are the first English club to reach the final since Chelsea in 2021, and their first appearance since 2006, when they lost to Barcelona in Paris.
PSG's road to the final
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| League phase | Various | 13th place — progressed via play-offs |
| Knockout play-offs | Monaco | 5–4 (aggregate) |
| Round of 16 | Chelsea | Win (aggregate) |
| Quarter-final (1st leg) | Liverpool (home) | 2–0 (Doué 11’, Kvaratskhelia 65’) |
| Quarter-final (2nd leg) | Liverpool (away) | 0–2 (Dembélé 70’, 90+2’) |
| Semi-final (1st leg) | Bayern Munich (home) | 5–4 (Kvaratskhelia, João Neves, Doué, Dembélé ×2) |
| Semi-final (2nd leg) | Bayern Munich (away) | 1–1 |
PSG's route to the final has been anything but straightforward. They finished 13th in the league phase and had to come through the play-offs, surviving a dramatic all-French tie against Monaco. From there, Luis Enrique's side hit their stride: eliminating Liverpool 4-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, then producing one of the great semi-final performances with a 5-4 win at the Parc des Princes before holding their nerve with a 1-1 draw in Munich. Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé have been the standout attacking threats throughout.
Head to head: Arsenal vs PSG
The two clubs have met twice this season already. Arsenal beat PSG in the league phase as part of their perfect eight-win run. The sides also met in last season's Champions League, with PSG eliminating Arsenal at the quarter-final stage on their way to winning the title. That defeat will not have been forgotten in north London, and Arteta's side will be determined to settle the score on the biggest stage of all.
Key players to watch
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) — The man whose rebound goal sent Arsenal to the final. Saka has been Arsenal's most dangerous attacker all season, with nine goals in home Champions League games. His ability to drive at defenders and create in tight areas will be crucial against PSG's aggressive press.
Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal) — The Swedish striker scored the penalty in Madrid that opened Arsenal's route to the final. He will lead the line in Budapest and will be central to Arsenal's chances of breaking down a PSG defence that has been formidable throughout the knockout rounds.
Kvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG) — The Georgian winger has been one of the players of the season in European football. Direct, quick and devastating in one-on-one situations, he scored and created goals at every stage of the tournament. He will be the player Arsenal fear most in Budapest.
Ousmane Dembélé (PSG) — A decisive figure throughout PSG's campaign. He scored twice at Anfield in the quarter-finals, converted two penalties in the semi-final first leg and has been in the form of his life. His movement off the ball and ability to finish from wide positions make him a constant threat.
Champions League final — Budapest, Puskás Aréna, 30 May 2026
The 2025/26 final of the Champions League takes place at the Puskás Aréna on 30 May 2026, a 67,000-seat stadium just east of central Budapest. Named after Hungarian football icon Ferenc Puskás, the arena opened in 2019 on the site of the historic Népstadion and meets the highest international standards. Located less than one kilometre from Budapest Keleti central railway station and two kilometres from the city’s historic centre, the venue is easily accessible for travelling fans.
This year’s final will kick off at 21:00 CEST, giving fans from across Europe the chance to soak up the atmosphere in Budapest before kick-off.
Road to the 2026 Champions League final
The route to Budapest started with qualifying stages in the summer, opening on 8/9 & 15/16 July 2025 (First qualifying round), followed by the second qualifying round on 22/23 & 29/30 July. The third qualifying round took place on 5/6 & 12 August, and the play-offs completed the qualification stage on 19/20 & 26/27 August 2025.
League phase
The league phase — which replaced the old group stage from the 2024/25 season — ran across eight matchdays from September 2025 to January 2026. Under the new format, the top 8 teams progressed directly to the round of 16, while teams finishing 9th to 24th entered a knockout play-off round.
Knockout phase
The knockout stage began in February with play-offs on 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026. The round of 16 followed on 10/11 & 17/18 March, the quarter-finals on 7/8 & 14/15 April, and the semi-finals on 28/29 April & 5/6 May. All roads lead to Budapest for the grand final on 30 May 2026.
Defending champions: Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain, after their fantastic first Champions League victory in 2025, arrive in the 2025/26 season as defending champions. PSG defeated Inter Milan 5-0 at the Allianz Arena in Munich — the biggest winning margin in any Champions League final. Achraf Hakimi scored in the 12th minute before two strikes by Désiré Doué. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu finished the rout. Luis Enrique's victory made him just the seventh manager to win the Champions League with two different clubs, having previously won it with Barcelona in 2015.
Champions League history and records
The Champions League has been around since 1955/56 when it was called the European Cup. The competition became the Champions League in 1992/93, and has used a new league phase format since the 2024/25 season. Over the decades, 24 different clubs have enjoyed the honour of lifting the famous trophy.
The most successful clubs
No club can rival Real Madrid, who have won the tournament 15 times. Their most remarkable run lasted five consecutive years from 1956 to 1960. AC Milan are in second place with seven wins, while Bayern Munich and Liverpool are tied third with six each. Juventus hold the unwanted record of most final losses with seven, while Atlético Madrid have reached three finals without ever lifting the trophy.
Individual player records
Francisco Gento and Paolo Maldini each appeared in eight finals — a record unlikely to be surpassed. Gento won six of those with Real Madrid in the 1950s and 1960s, still the most by any individual player. Since 1992/93, five players share the record of six final appearances: Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, Nacho Fernández and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Memorable final scorelines
The 2025 final between PSG and Inter Milan produced the largest winning margin in Champions League final history, with PSG winning 5-0. Before that, Real Madrid's 7-3 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960 remains the highest-scoring final ever, with hat-tricks from Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás. For pure drama, nothing rivals the 2005 final in Istanbul, where Liverpool came back from 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan to draw 3-3 and win on penalties — a night known forever as the Miracle of Istanbul.
Top final goalscorers
Ferenc Puskás holds the record for most final goals with seven, including four in the 1960 final against Eintracht Frankfurt. Alfredo Di Stéfano scored in five consecutive finals from 1956 to 1960. In the modern era, Cristiano Ronaldo leads with four goals across multiple finals.
The greatest managers
Carlo Ancelotti is the most successful manager in the tournament's history, winning five titles: two with AC Milan (2003, 2007) and three with Real Madrid (2014, 2022, 2024). He is the only manager to appear in six finals. Zinédine Zidane and Pep Guardiola have both won three, with Zidane's three consecutive titles with Real Madrid from 2016 to 2018 a remarkable achievement.
Final venues through the years
London has hosted more Champions League finals than any other city. The original Wembley Stadium hosted five finals, making it the most used single venue in the competition's history. Germany has provided the most diverse range of host venues, with five different stadiums across the country. Other iconic venues to have hosted finals include the San Siro in Milan, the Santiago Bernábeu in Madrid, and the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Which countries dominate the Champions League?
Spain leads all countries with 20 victories, driven almost entirely by Real Madrid (15) and Barcelona (5). England has produced the most diverse set of winners, with six different clubs lifting the trophy: Liverpool, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Manchester City.
Key milestones in Champions League history
The competition has changed drastically since Real Madrid won the first European Cup in 1956. Initially open only to domestic league champions, it gradually expanded to include runners-up from 1997 and third and fourth-place finishers from 1999. The biggest structural change came in 2024/25 with the introduction of the league phase format. The competition has also navigated difficult moments: English clubs were banned from European competition for five years following Heysel in 1985, and the 2020 final was held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Six finals have been decided by penalty shootout (1986, 1988, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2005), and only three hat-tricks have ever been scored in a final.
Champions League 2025/26 — the road to Budapest
The 2025/26 Champions League has produced one of the most dramatic knockout runs in the competition's history. Arsenal's historic journey to the final — their first in twenty years — headlines a season full of extraordinary moments.
Arsenal top the league phase
Arsenal went through the league phase in imperious form, winning all eight matches and finishing first. They scored 23 goals and conceded just four, setting a new standard for the revamped format. Bayern Munich finished second, with Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting and Manchester City completing the top eight and advancing directly to the round of 16.
Knockout play-offs: big names stumble
The February play-offs brought major upsets. Bodø/Glimt knocked out Inter Milan 5-2 on aggregate, one of the biggest shocks in recent Champions League history. Juventus were eliminated by Galatasaray in a 7-5 aggregate thriller. Real Madrid — who had suffered a shock 4-2 defeat to Benfica on the final league phase matchday — recovered to beat Benfica 3-1 on aggregate and advance. PSG, as defending champions, survived a tense all-French play-off against Monaco 5-4 on aggregate.
Round of 16
Arsenal dispatched Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate to progress comfortably. PSG eliminated Chelsea, while Real Madrid beat Manchester City. Bayern Munich overcame Atalanta, Atlético eliminated Tottenham, and Sporting Lisbon edged past Bodø/Glimt to set up a quarter-final against Arsenal.
Quarter-finals
Arsenal beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on aggregate, with Kai Havertz's stoppage-time goal in Lisbon proving the only moment of difference across 180 minutes. Bayern eliminated Real Madrid in a stunning 6-4 aggregate tie that included a seven-goal second leg in Munich. PSG swept Liverpool aside 4-0 on aggregate, while Atlético Madrid knocked out Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate, helped by a red card for Cubarsí in the first leg.
Semi-finals
Arsenal overcame Atlético Madrid 2-1 on aggregate. A 1-1 draw in Madrid — both goals from the penalty spot — was followed by Bukayo Saka's first-half winner at the Emirates. PSG and Bayern produced one of the great Champions League semi-final legs, with PSG winning 5-4 at the Parc des Princes. PSG then drew 1-1 in Munich to advance 5-4 on aggregate and set up a final against Arsenal.
Tickets for the final
The Champions League final is Arsenal vs PSG at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 30 May 2026. Demand for tickets is at an all-time high. Check our dedicated booking section for the latest availability.
