Champions League Final: PSG vs Arsenal in Budapest

The UEFA Champions League final will take place in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, May 30, pitting Paris Saint-Germain against Arsenal. Neither club is a traditional European powerhouse, but both have cemented their status in recent years as champions of two of the world's most prestigious domestic leagues.

PSG has dominated France's Ligue 1 by winning 12 of the last 14 titles, while Arsenal — after three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League — finally reached the summit this season. Both teams look to cap a successful campaign with the continent's most coveted club trophy.

PSG's Road to the Final

PSG was forced into the playoffs after finishing 11th in the 36-team group stage, three places behind the automatic round-of-16 spots and trailing Manchester City. That followed two losses to Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Still, the defending champions put on impressive displays, including a 7-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen.

In the playoffs, PSG edged Monaco 5-4 on aggregate, then eliminated Chelsea (8-2) and Liverpool (4-0) in the round of 16 and quarterfinals. The semifinals featured a classic 5-4 home win over Bayern Munich, with a 1-1 draw in the return leg securing the French side's spot in the final.

Arsenal's Road to the Final

Arsenal is the only team unbeaten so far in this Champions League campaign. They topped the group stage with a perfect eight wins, conceding just four goals while scoring 24. The knockout rounds posed more of a challenge: Bayer Leverkusen was dispatched 3-1 on aggregate, while Sporting Lisbon and Atletico Madrid each lost by a single goal in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

Head-to-Head History and Records

In eight previous meetings between the sides, each has won twice. Their first encounter came in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, where Arsenal advanced after a 1-0 home win and a 1-1 draw in Paris.

PSG won the Champions League for the first time last season, thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the final at Munich's Allianz Arena. Prior to that, they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the 2019 final. Arsenal has never won the competition; this is only their second appearance in the final, following a 2-1 loss to Barcelona in 2006.

Last season, PSG eliminated Arsenal in the semifinals 3-1 on aggregate. However, in the group stage that same campaign, Arsenal won 2-0 at home with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, despite PSG enjoying 65% possession and more shots.

Team News

PSG may be without Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele due to a calf issue. Achraf Hakimi and Lucas Chevalier are also carrying injuries, but Nuno Mendes is expected to recover in time. Likely lineup: Safonov; Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.

Arsenal is missing Jurrien Timber (groin injury) and Ben White (injury). Noni Madueke has a hamstring issue but may feature. Likely lineup: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Trossard; Gyokeres.