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What to Know About the 2026 Champions League Final

Fans of Arsenal cheer during the UEFA Champions League semi-finals 2nd leg match Arsenal FC against Atletico de Madrid, in London, Britain, 05 May 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL
Fans of Arsenal cheer during the UEFA Champions League semi-finals 2nd leg match Arsenal FC against Atletico de Madrid, in London, Britain, 05 May 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL
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What to Know About the 2026 Champions League Final

Fans of Arsenal cheer during the UEFA Champions League semi-finals 2nd leg match Arsenal FC against Atletico de Madrid, in London, Britain, 05 May 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL
Fans of Arsenal cheer during the UEFA Champions League semi-finals 2nd leg match Arsenal FC against Atletico de Madrid, in London, Britain, 05 May 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL

Arsenal became the first team to book its place in the 2026 Champions League final by beating Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich will join the Premier League club in the showpiece at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary this month.

Defending champion PSG leads Bayern 5-4 after a thrilling first leg in Paris.

The second leg is on Wednesday in Munich.

Here's what to know about the Champions League final.

When is the Champions League final and what time is the kick off? This year's final will be staged in Budapest on May 30. Kick off time has been brought forward to 1800 CET, having traditionally been played 2100 CET. Governing body UEFA said the decision for an earlier kick off was to enhance the matchday experience for fans and to optimize logistics such as public transport.

Who is headlining the pre-match show? Rock band the Killers will be performing on the night. In recent years Linkin Park and Lenny Kravitz have headlined.

Arsenal is in the final for the first time since 2006. It is only its second time in the final and it has never won European club soccer's top competition, having lost to Barcelona in 2006.

Mikel Arteta's team was beaten in last year's semifinals by eventual champion PSG.

PSG is aiming to become only the second team to win back-to-back Champions League titles, having lifted the trophy for the first time last year.

Since the tournament was rebranded as the Champions League in the 1992-93 campaign only Real Madrid has retained the title, winning three times in succession from 2016-18.

Bayern has won the Champions League or European Cup on six occasions — most recently in 2020. Victory this year would see it equal AC Milan's total of seven titles to make the German giant the joint second most successful team in the competition's history behind Madrid, which is a 15-time winner.

About the Puskas Arena The 67,000-seater stadium was opened in 2019 and built on the same site as the previous Ferenc Puskas Stadion — named after the Hungarian and Real Madrid icon, who won three European Cups as a player.

Recent winners 2025 PSG
2024 Real Madrid
2023 Manchester City
2022 Real Madrid
2021 Chelsea
Most Champions League/European Cup wins 15 Real Madrid
7 AC Milan
6 Bayern Munich, Liverpool
5 Barcelona
4 Ajax
3 Manchester United, Inter Milan

Where is the 2026-27 Champions League final? The 2027 final will be staged at Atletico Madrid's stadium the Estadio Metropolitano. It is the second time it has held the final, having staged the 2019 showdown between Liverpool and Tottenham.

The city of Madrid has hosted the final on five previous occasions.

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Sports

Liverpool, Man City Face Questions in New Era without Salah, Guardiola

Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Liverpool v Como - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 16, 2026 Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola gives instructions to his players during the match. (Reuters)
Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Liverpool v Como - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 16, 2026 Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola gives instructions to his players during the match. (Reuters)
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Liverpool, Man City Face Questions in New Era without Salah, Guardiola

Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Liverpool v Como - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 16, 2026 Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola gives instructions to his players during the match. (Reuters)
Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Liverpool v Como - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 16, 2026 Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola gives instructions to his players during the match. (Reuters)

Mohamed Salah and Pep Guardiola are two of the most iconic figures in Premier League history -- how Liverpool and Manchester City cope without them will define their seasons.

For the first time since 2016, Liverpool kick off a campaign without Egypt forward Salah as their talisman, while City can no longer rely on Guardiola's managerial genius to inspire them after a glorious decade.

Salah joined Turkish club Trabzonspor earlier in August, ending the Anfield career of one of the greatest players in Liverpool's illustrious history.

Guardiola resigned at the conclusion of last season, bringing the curtain down on the most successful period in City's history.

Now Liverpool and City launch new eras without them as the Premier League season gets underway.

City host Bournemouth on Sunday in Enzo Maresca's first league game as Guardiola's successor.

Just a few hours later, Liverpool's new manager Andoni Iraola will pick a team shorn of Salah when the Reds travel to Newcastle.

The uncertainty over the prospects of both City and Liverpool this season is a reflection not only on the loss of Guardiola and Salah, but also the turbulence that preceded their emotional farewells in May.

Guardiola won six Premier League titles and the club's first Champions League crown among a remarkable 20 trophies after taking charge in 2016.

The 55-year-old lifted the FA Cup and League Cup in his last season, but he exited with City removed from their perch as England's pre-eminent force after failing to win the title in his final two years.

Guardiola admitted he struggled to generate the energy required to lead City's fight against Arsenal last term, with the Gunners eventually finishing seven points clear as they clinched the title.

The departure of his trusted director of football Txiki Begiristain in 2025 left Guardiola lamenting "a part of me is leaving".

With City also fighting against Football Association charges relating to alleged financial breaches -- a protracted saga that still doesn't have a resolution -- Guardiola felt he must remain loyal to the club.

But he looked increasingly fatigued by the strain of rebuilding a squad in need of new blood after the departures of several stalwarts, including Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez in recent years.

- 'Generational talent' -

City's expensively assembled rebuild has been only a partial success, leaving former Chelsea boss Maresca with a daunting task to follow in Guardiola's footsteps.

The Italian knows City well after working as Guardiola's assistant in their treble-winning 2022-23 season.

But Maresca has only limited managerial experience after less than two seasons at Chelsea, a year in the second tier with Leicester and a brief stint at Parma.

The 46-year-old's sparse CV is a far cry from Guardiola's trophy-filled time at Barcelona and Bayern Munich before his move to Manchester.

Just 35 miles down the East Lancashire Road, Liverpool are also taking tentative steps into season one of their post-Salah story.

When Salah joined Liverpool from Roma for £36 million in 2017, few would have predicted the success that followed.

Salah had flopped during a spell at Chelsea, but he was an immediate hit on Merseyside.

The 34-year-old amassed 257 goals for Liverpool in 442 appearances in all competitions, making him the third top goalscorer in the club's history.

He produced countless magical moments while winning two Premier League titles, a Champions League and the FA Cup and League Cup.

But the denouement to Salah's Liverpool career was ugly.

He was dropped several times by Arne Slot last season and accused the club of throwing him "under the bus".

Salah's rift with Slot was never fully healed and he scored just seven league goals as Liverpool finished fifth prior to the Dutch coach's sacking.

Replacing a generational talent of Salah's status will take more than one player.

Iraola will hope Sweden striker Alexander Isak is much improved after an injury-plagued first season at Anfield, while new signing Victor Munoz and teenager Rio Ngumoha have great expectations.

But no matter how hard they try, neither Liverpool or City will ever be quite the same without their era-defining icons.

Sports

Americans Gauff, Tiafoe, Nakashima and Pegula Reach the Semifinal Round at Cincinnati Open

Brandon Nakashima of the United States plays a backhand during the match against Taylor Fritz of the United States during day 11 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 21, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
Brandon Nakashima of the United States plays a backhand during the match against Taylor Fritz of the United States during day 11 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 21, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Americans Gauff, Tiafoe, Nakashima and Pegula Reach the Semifinal Round at Cincinnati Open

Brandon Nakashima of the United States plays a backhand during the match against Taylor Fritz of the United States during day 11 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 21, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
Brandon Nakashima of the United States plays a backhand during the match against Taylor Fritz of the United States during day 11 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 21, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)

Frances Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima won quarterfinal matches Friday night to set up one all-American men's semifinal at the Cincinnati Open. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula also advanced to make it four US players in the semis.

“It's insane, I think we're all doing so well,” Gauff said. “Hopefully, you know, we can have a double title win. Obviously, there are more matches to be played for that to happen. We definitely root for each other.”

Tiafoe beat Italian Lorenzo Musetti, 7-6 (2), 7-5, and Nakashima beat fellow American Taylor Fritz, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, marking the first time two Americans have reached the men's semifinals in Cincinnati since Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish in 2010.

Nakashima is the first American man to reach the semifinals in Canada and Cincinnati in the same season since Fish in 2011. Nakashima is coached by Tiafoe's former coach, Wayne Ferreira.

“It's a guy who knows me pretty well in Wayne," Tiafoe said. “I expect some good serving and all the best from him. Happy where I've been mentally more than anything. This has been a great week."

Tiafoe reached the Cincinnati finals in 2024, losing to Jannik Sinner.

The other men's semifinal Saturday features Italy’s Flavio Cobolli against Frenchman Arthur Fils.

Gauff beat Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, 6-2, 6-2. Gauff will face surprise entrant 20-year-old Czech Sara Bejlek on Saturday.

Bejlek outlasted 2019 champion Madison Keys, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Friday. She upset No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in the Round of 16.

“Sara is a great player," Gauff said. “I watched her a lot in Abu Dhabi (in February) this year when she won that title. So I think it's going to be a tough match. I'm looking forward to it.”

Pegula, ranked No. 3 and who beat Amanda Anisimova on Thursday, will face fifth-ranked Iga Swiatek in Saturday's other semifinal.

Sports

Arteta Hails Arsenal's Desire after Perfect Start to Title Defense

Arsenal cruised to victory over Coventry to start the Premier League season. Henry NICHOLLS / AFP
Arsenal cruised to victory over Coventry to start the Premier League season. Henry NICHOLLS / AFP
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Arteta Hails Arsenal's Desire after Perfect Start to Title Defense

Arsenal cruised to victory over Coventry to start the Premier League season. Henry NICHOLLS / AFP
Arsenal cruised to victory over Coventry to start the Premier League season. Henry NICHOLLS / AFP

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal's dominant 3-0 win against Coventry in the opening game of the Premier League season on Friday proved the champions have not lost their hunger for silverware.

Arteta's side picked up where they left off last season, cruising to victory over out-classed Coventry thanks to goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have been installed as title favorites, and their swaggering display suggested their rivals will struggle to keep up this season, said AFP.

Arteta was encouraged by the way his players set about overwhelming promoted Coventry with their relentless pressing.

"They look exactly the same (as last season) to me. What I did transmit to them was to show more desire and earn the right to be better than everyone else," Arteta said.

"There was a lot to like from the performance. It was a great result but also the manner we started the game.

"It was domination, clarity and understanding. It was really impressive."

Arteta hailed the cohesion between his players as they carved open the Coventry defense time and again, with new winger Christos Tzolis impressing on his league debut after joining from Club Brugge.

"We were so dominant, we had incredible connections, we were really accurate with the ball," Arteta said.

"The players have to be decisive and they were today. They looked really connected and played with a lot of purpose."

Asked if Arsenal's emphatic win -- on the day they signed Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa -- showed they are stronger than any of their challengers, Arteta said: "No. Because when I look at the squads some of them are incredible and much bigger than ours.

"We look to improve and do what we like is right for us and understand the players who can improve us and give us an edge.

"Ezri is a player we really like in the defensive line. We recruited a great defender, a great personality, so I'm very pleased."

- 'Fight for it again' -

Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, a close-season recruit from Newcastle, was sidelined by an injury, but Arteta does not expect him to be out for long.

"We don't expect it to be weeks at all," he said.

Odegaard hailed Arsenal's ideal opening to the new campaign.

"The perfect start. Three goals and a clean sheet. It was really solid," the Gunners midfielder said.

"The team's quality is unbelievable, we see that every day in training. The level we compete at is unbelievable and we all push each other."

On Arsenal's belief they can retain the title, Odegaard added: "We don't feel we have to defend anything. We want to do it again and that's the mindset.

"Last year is finished now, we want to do it again and we want to attack it and fight for it again."

In a damning indication of their lack of threat, Coventry took 60 minutes to manage their first touch in the Arsenal penalty area.

Frank Lampard's side are back in the top-flight after a 25-year absence and the Sky Blues boss admitted Arsenal had given them a lesson.

"Fantastic team, a good lesson for our boys to see the levels. They played like champions," he said.

"It was a difficult game for us, the experience of it is probably good for us in terms of the stadium, the atmosphere at the start of the game, the quality that they have.

"When you concede goals, not great from us and that's the reality."