PSG vs Arsenal live online buildup and updates: 2026 Champions League final team news

Champions League

Will Achraf Hakimi play for PSG against Arsenal in the Champions League final? Injury update

Will Achraf Hakimi play for PSG vs Arsenal in the Champions League final?

A little more here on Hakimi's fitness issues in the run-up to the game, as well as his importance to the way PSG plays.

Achraf Hakimi: PSG's main injury concern after semifinal injury

Hakimi has been PSG’s main worry after suffering a hamstring injury in the first leg of their semifinal against Bayern Munich. However, the Moroccan international is in the squad for the game and the fact he has only been out for a few weeks means Luis Enrique is hopeful he will be able to start.

Downtown Paris braced for PSG defeat... or victory

Sometimes you just have to shake your head and wonder where the world has gone wrong. Clips have emerged online of stores in downtown Paris boarding up windows and doors for fear of rioting and looting in the French capital. As if that wasn't bad enough, history suggests it's just as likely to happen if PSG actually win, never mind lose. After their victory last year, PSG ‘supporters’ in Paris vandalized public infrastructure, launched fireworks that caused trash can fires, set vehicles on fire and clashed with police. 

Across France, two people were killed and over 190 injured. What would've happened if they'd lost... ? 

PSG early team news: Dembélé, Hakimi, Mendes

PSG have had fitness concerns over a number of players in the run-up to the final, with Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembélé, Nuno Mendes and Lucas Chevalier all carrying injuries. They are all in the squad for the game, so we have to assume they are in contention to play some part. In any case, Chevalier will be backup goalkeeper to Matvey Safonov.

Champions League

PSG vs Arsenal head-to-head: Full record, past results, and Champions League history

PSG vs Arsenal head-to-head: Full record, past results, and Champions League history

Looking for a little more context? We've got you covered. Check out this article for more on the PSG vs Arsenal 'rivalry,’ if you can indeed call it that.

PSG vs Arsenal: previous meetings

May 2025: PSG 2-1 Arsenal, Champions League semifinal

April 2025: Arsenal 0-1 PSG, Champions League semifinal

October 2024: Arsenal 2-0 PSG, Champions League league phase

November 2016: Arsenal 2-2 PSG, Champions League group stage

September 2016: PSG 1-1 Arsenal, Champions League group stage

April 1994: Arsenal 1-0 PSG, Cup Winners' Cup semifinal

March 1994: PSG 1-1 Arsenal, Cup Winners’ Cup semifinal

Most recent first-time Champions League winners

Arsenal are hoping to follow in the footsteps of PSG, who won the trophy for the first time 12 months ago, and Manchester City, who claimed their maiden victory in 2023. Before that, we have to go back to 2012 for the previous first-time winners, who were Chelsea.

Arsenal gunning for maiden Champions League victory

The word ‘Arsenal,’ of course, has never been engraved on the Champions League trophy. Despite being one of England’s most successful teams, the Gunners have never tasted success in Europe’s top club competition, playing in the final just once.

European Cup winning streaks

But soccer didn't start with the Champions League. The European Cup, which is the same trophy, ran from 1955 until 1992, during which time several clubs won it in successive years.

Real Madrid kicked it off with five wins in a row between 1956 and 1960, which goes a long way to explaining why they have eight more victories in the competition than anyone else.

They were immediately followed by Benfica (1961 and 1962) and Inter (1964 and 1965). Ajax (1971-73) and Bayern Munich (1974-76) both won three in a row, just before Liverpool (1977 and 1978) and Nottingham Forest (1979 and 1980) went back-to-back.

There was then a short gap to Milan (1989 and 1990), who were the last team to defend the trophy before Real Madrid in the 2010s.

How many teams have won back-to-back Champions Leagues?

PSG could become just the second club in the Champions League era to defend their trophy. Real Madrid, inevitably, are the only other team to have done it, winning three years in succession between 2016 and 2018.

2016: Real Madrid 1-1 Atlético Madrid (5-3 on penalties)
2017: Real Madrid 4-1 Juventus
2018: Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool

PSG chase back-to-back Champions League titles

Paris Saint-Germain have been a club transformed under former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique. In Europe, in any case. Once a laughing stock for their inability to close out ties and get over the line, they are now chasing a second successive Champions League trophy after dismantling Inter Milan in last season's final in Munich. More on that coming up.

What’s the forecast in Budapest for PSG vs Arsenal?

It's been pretty hot in some parts of Europe in recent days, although the temperatures aren’t expected to be too ridiculous in Budapest on Saturday. The forecast is for 74ºF throughout the game, with cloudy skies and even a little rain possible.

Puskas Arena hosts first Champions League final

Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary hosts the Champions League final for the first time, which isn't too much of a surprise considering it only opened in 2019. In the last seven years, though, it has held some big games, including the 2020 UEFA Super Cup (Bayern Munich vs Sevilla), and the 2023 Europa League final (Sevilla vs Roma).

Restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic also led to both legs of two Champions League round of 16 ties (Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Manchester City and RB Leipzig vs Liverpool) being held at Puskas Arena in early 2021.

Additionally, four Euro 2020 matches were played at the stadium, including Portugal’s 2-2 draw with France, in which Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema both scored twice.

PSG vs Arsenal: How to watch the 2026 Champions League final in the U.S.

If you're in the United States, you have a number of options of how to watch today’s Champions League final, either on television or via streaming services:

CBS, Paramount+, TUDN USA, DAZN USA and Univision USA are all showing the game, which kicks off at 12pm ET / 9am PT.

Why is the Champions League final kicking off early this year?

UEFA announced last August that the Champions League final would kick off three hours earlier this year, explaining it as such:

“The decision is designed to enhance the overall matchday experience for fans, teams and host cities by optimising logistics and operations, while delivering several tangible benefits. Our goal is to make matchday a truly enjoyable experience for everyone who wants to be part of the excitement, while creating a welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy for families and children to attend the biggest and most important club football match of the season.

“For travelling supporters, it will mean improved access to public transport – especially after the match – and a safer, more convenient journey back from the stadium. For the host cities, it will boost the positive economic impact of the event by giving fans the possibility to continue their celebrations.

“The new kick-off time also aligns with a more accessible broadcasting window, helping the final reach an even broader television and digital audience worldwide, with a particular focus on engaging younger viewers.”

(Only) 6 hours to kickoff in Budapest!

As fans of the Champions League, you'll be used to games in the competition being played at 3pm ET and 12pm PT (9pm in most parts of Europe). But that isn't the case for today’s final, which gets underway at 6pm local time, which is 12pm ET and 9am PT. Set your alarm so you don’t forget!

Hello and welcome to AS USA’s 2026 Champions League final buildup: PSG vs Arsenal!

Hello and welcome to AS USA's 2026 Champions League final buildup, with Paris Saint-Germain to take on Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary a little later. And we could witness history today, with the Gunners out to win the competition for the first time ever. PSG, meanwhile, are looking to join the exclusive list of teams who have won it back-to-back, which wouldn’t be too shabby either.

Expect news, stats, facts, trips down memory lane galore and maybe even somescandal over the next few hours as we build up to kickoff.