Paris Saint-Germain are aiming for a second consecutive Champions League title when they face Arsenal in the 2025/26 final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on Saturday, May 30. The reigning European champions booked their place by edging Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate in a pulsating semi-final, while Arsenal reached their first final in 20 years after an unbeaten run through the competition.
Match details
The final kicks off at 5pm BST (6pm local time) at the 67,215-capacity Puskás Aréna, a venue that also hosted the 2023 Europa League final and matches during Euro 2020. This year’s showpiece marks the third final in six seasons for PSG and the second in a row for the Parisian side, who lost to Bayern in 2020 before winning their first title in 2025.
In the UK, the match will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage expected to begin at 3pm BST. Subscribers can also stream the game via the HBO Max app and website. For the first time in 34 years, the final will not be available on free-to-air television; a paid subscription is required. TNT Sports via Sky costs approximately £31.99 per month, while an HBO Max plan starts at £4.99 per month with the addition of the TNT Sports add-on at £30.99 per month. The decision to put the final behind a paywall has drawn criticism, with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urging TNT Sports to show the game for free, arguing that hard-working people should not have to worry about paying for a subscription to watch a match of this magnitude. UEFA, meanwhile, has expressed frustration that all three European finals are behind a paywall, noting a “best endeavours” clause in its contract with the broadcaster.
The two sides have met six times before, with two wins apiece and two draws. PSG defeated Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate in last season’s Champions League semi-finals (1-0 away, 2-1 home), while Arsenal knocked out PSG in the 1994 European Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-finals before going on to win that competition. Arsenal’s European final history is mixed: they lost the 2006 Champions League final to Barcelona, the 2000 UEFA Cup final to Galatasaray on penalties, and the 2019 Europa League final to Chelsea, though they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994. PSG lost the 1997 Cup Winners’ Cup final as holders, lost the 2020 Champions League final to Bayern, but bounced back to win the title in 2025 — a triumph that also earned them the UEFA Super Cup.
Team news: injury concerns
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has several fitness issues to resolve before the final, with winger Noni Madueke the most immediate doubt. Madueke was forced off in the closing stages of Sunday’s Premier League finale against Crystal Palace, clutching his left hamstring, and was replaced by Viktor Gyokeres. He will be assessed ahead of the game. Defender Jurriën Timber has not played since March after suffering an ankle problem against Everton; there is hope he will be fit to be involved, but a start appears unlikely after more than two months on the sidelines. Cristhian Mosquera is an option at right-back, while Piero Hincapié lacks experience in that position. Mikel Merino returned from foot surgery and four months out by coming off the bench against Palace, and he could now feature in the final. Ben White was also substituted during the controversial win over West Ham, though the severity of that issue has not been detailed.
PSG have their own significant injury concerns. Right-back Achraf Hakimi, widely regarded as one of the world’s best in his position, sustained a hamstring injury in the first leg of the semi-final against Bayern Munich. While the original report stated he had not returned to training, recent reports indicate he has resumed individual work and is expected back in team sessions before the final. Ousmane Dembélé is another concern after coming off with a thigh injury during the defeat to Paris FC earlier in May, though his substitution was reportedly precautionary; he has also undergone treatment for a right calf issue. Second-choice goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier is out for weeks with a thigh injury sustained in training, but is expected to return to training this week. Youngster Quentin Ndjantou remains sidelined, and there is no update on his fitness. Additionally, Nuno Mendes and Willian Pacho are both out with thigh injuries, while Vitinha is nursing a heel problem.
In Hakimi’s absence during the second leg against Bayern, Warren Zaïre-Emery shifted from midfield to right-back and performed well, allowing Fabian Ruiz to join Vitinha and João Neves in the centre of the park. PSG’s midfield trio — with Vitinha, Neves and Ruiz — are not natural defensive or attacking specialists but versatile eights who control the game in different ways.
Prediction
The final sets up a fascinating tactical contrast. Luis Enrique’s PSG are defined by fluidity, rotational freedom and transitional chaos, relying on rapid verticality and aggressive man-to-man pressing. In possession they often morph into a back three, with their forwards highly interchangeable. Arteta’s Arsenal, by contrast, are a machine of positional precision, thriving on structured build-up, spatial manipulation and collective pressing. They boast the best defensive record in the Premier League and have evolved to vary their approach, from possession-based control to more direct vertical passes that can exploit a high defensive line.
Key individual matchups could prove decisive. The duel between Bukayo Saka and the injured Nuno Mendes (if he recovers) is potentially explosive, while William Saliba’s role in neutralising threats down the left will be crucial. The midfield battle between Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi against PSG’s versatile engine room is expected to be pivotal. Arsenal’s blueprint involves remaining brave, aggressive and emotionally disciplined — controlling emotions while maintaining courage in possession and intensity without the ball. PSG’s aim will be to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm and leverage their attacking fluidity, a strategy that worked in last season’s semi-final second leg when Arsenal dominated possession and expected goals but were undone by PSG’s effectiveness on the transition.
PSG are the marginal favourites, with Betfair offering odds of 13/20 for them to lift the trophy, while Arsenal are priced at 6/5. Both sides have plenty on the line: PSG are pursuing a continental sextuple having already won multiple trophies in 2025, while Arsenal are the newly crowned Premier League champions and are chasing a historic double.
PSG to win, 2-1.
