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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

Man United’s Martinez Blasts Board’s Lack of Investment

Manchester United's Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez (L) challenges for the ball against Atletico Madrid's Spanish defender Alejandro Grimaldo during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Manchester United, in Madrid, Spain, 13 October 2026. (EPA)
Manchester United's Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez (L) challenges for the ball against Atletico Madrid's Spanish defender Alejandro Grimaldo during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Manchester United, in Madrid, Spain, 13 October 2026. (EPA)
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Man United’s Martinez Blasts Board’s Lack of Investment

Manchester United's Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez (L) challenges for the ball against Atletico Madrid's Spanish defender Alejandro Grimaldo during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Manchester United, in Madrid, Spain, 13 October 2026. (EPA)
Manchester United's Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez (L) challenges for the ball against Atletico Madrid's Spanish defender Alejandro Grimaldo during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Manchester United, in Madrid, Spain, 13 October 2026. (EPA)

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez blasted the club's board for a perceived lack of investment this summer, after the team were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

United are winless in five games across all competitions after the 2-0 defeat in the Spanish capital and have made their worst start to a Premier League season in 40 years.

"Really poor," Martinez told Amazon Prime when asked about the team's performance against Atletico.

"I have to control myself a lot but sometimes is a reflection... (or) mirror of how our club is at the moment."

Martinez said he "100 percent" expected more investment in the squad during the summer after United finished third in the Premier League last season to return to Europe's top competition.

"I expect more from our technical director (Jason Wilcox), I have to be honest, as players we have to do more but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for these kind of nights," he continued.

Martinez said last season the club had "created the base to create an amazing team", which was not followed through on.

Pressure is mounting on coach Michael Carrick after five games without a win, but Martinez suggested sacking the Englishman was not the way forward.

"You can't keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can't say more," said Martinez.

"Tonight it is easy to say the coach (is to blame), easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas."

Red Devils minority owner Jim Ratcliffe was in the stadium to watch the league phase defeat by last season's semi-finalists.

Man United spent around 140 million pounds ($185m) this summer on midfielders Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, but fans were upset the club did not reinforce in other positions, including left-back and striker.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Carrick said he had not heard Martinez's comments and so could not judge them.

"I think it's a little bit on the emotions of the game as well, of coming here and being disappointed not to get something from the game," said the coach.

Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney said Martinez's criticism was excessive.

"I think he's maybe gone a bit too far, and that should have stayed internal," Rooney told Amazon Prime.

"You can clearly see that he cares and he wants the club to invest more money in more players, and to do that he's probably one of the players who'll be out the door if I'm being honest."

Sports

PSG Coach Luis Enrique Says Man City Deserved Trophies, Despite Financial Breach Ruling

13 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique leads a training session at the Etihad Stadium, ahead of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League soccer match against Manchester City. (dpa)
13 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique leads a training session at the Etihad Stadium, ahead of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League soccer match against Manchester City. (dpa)
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PSG Coach Luis Enrique Says Man City Deserved Trophies, Despite Financial Breach Ruling

13 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique leads a training session at the Etihad Stadium, ahead of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League soccer match against Manchester City. (dpa)
13 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique leads a training session at the Etihad Stadium, ahead of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League soccer match against Manchester City. (dpa)

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique came to Manchester City's defense on Tuesday, saying he hopes the club won't be stripped of titles after being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.

Back-to-back Champions League winner PSG plays City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

City could face sanctions including a huge fine, points deductions or even expulsion from England's top flight. There have also been calls for it to be stripped of trophies it won during a nine-year period in which it was found to have artificially inflated its revenue by more than $1 billion.

“I hope everything works out well for Man City because I think what they have done on the pitch has been incredible over the last few years and they certainly deserved to win all the trophies they have won," Luis Enrique said ahead of the Champions League game. “The trophies you win on the pitch remain on the pitch. They deserved to win that and I hope they can avoid the sanction.

“But now we have to wait to see what the authorities decide or the judge is going to say.”

PSG and Manchester City have been sanctioned by European governing body UEFA for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations in the past.

City is accused of providing misleading information about its finances from 2009-18. During that time, it won three titles. It has appealed the verdict.

City defender Ruben Dias said the players were focusing on the pitch, like they did Sunday in a 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield.

“I feel like when you build yourself as a player, you build yourself against any kind of noise," he said. “Personally, and I really feel like I speak for the whole group, we’re very calm. We trust the club, we’re very calm and we’re very focused on enjoying football.”

Sports

Watkins on Target to Keep Al-Hilal Perfect in Asian Champions League

Al-Hilal players celebrate scoring against Al-Sadd. (Al-Hilal Club)
Al-Hilal players celebrate scoring against Al-Sadd. (Al-Hilal Club)
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Watkins on Target to Keep Al-Hilal Perfect in Asian Champions League

Al-Hilal players celebrate scoring against Al-Sadd. (Al-Hilal Club)
Al-Hilal players celebrate scoring against Al-Sadd. (Al-Hilal Club)

Al-Hilal secured ‌a 2-0 win over Qatar's Al-Sadd in Doha on Tuesday with Ollie Watkins' improvised finish sending the Saudi Pro League outfit on their way to a second successive Asian Champions League Elite win.

The former Aston Villa striker netted in the 40th minute to give Al-Hilal the lead, calmly steering the ball home while lying on the turf after being upended in the penalty area by Agustin Soria.

"I ‌felt like ‌I worked hard for the team, ‌I ⁠got my goal ⁠and that's what I'm here to do, get goals for the team and ultimately work hard and put everything into the game," said Watkins.

The win followed Al-Hilal's opening victory over Al-Gharafa in the western league phase of the competition last month ⁠and was sealed when Ruben Neves scored ‌from the penalty spot ‌in the 65th minute.

Al-Hilal were joined on six points ‌by Shabab Al-Ahli after the side from the ‌United Arab Emirates beat former champions Al-Ittihad 2-1 in Jeddah.

Sardar Azmoun struck twice in the opening 16 minutes, converting from close range in the seventh before the Iran ‌international ran from just inside the Al-Ittihad half before finishing.

Richard Rios pulled ⁠one back ⁠for the hosts in the 66th minute but Shabab Al-Ahli held on to take the points.

"We were very focused and we believed we can win this game," said Azmoun. "We analyzed them well and we worked on the pitch very hard and that's why we won the game."

Al-Ain from the UAE and Iran's Esteghlal also have perfect records after two rounds of the eight-match league phase. The top eight finishers in both the west and east regions advance to the last 16.