There’s a strong case to be made that Arsenal and PSG are the two best teams in Europe right now, and that is rarer than you think in the Champions League final.
It certainly wasn’t the case last year, when Luis Enrique’s side hammered Inter 5-0 to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
The Gunners, meanwhile, have never won this competition.
It is only their second appearance in the final, having lost 2-1 to Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona in 2006.
Given the quality of their squad, PSG will be most people’s favourites to prevail. However, Arsenal will come into this game in buoyant form, having just ended a 22-year wait to win the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta’s side are widely regarded as having the best defensive setup in Europe — they have conceded just twice in the knockout stages so far, whereas PSG conceded five against Bayern Munich alone.
If the English side can keep it tight and deny the French champions the space in which their array of world-class attackers can thrive, they will fancy their chances of causing an upset.
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 30, 2026
3 hrs ago
5:14PM
Gabriel makes a crucial last-ditch challenge to stop Kvaratskhelia getting a shot on goal after the ball breaks kindly for the Georgian inside the area.
PSG have had 72% possession so far.
3 hrs ago
5:15PM
13 mins: Doué’s long ball picks out Ruiz’s run.
But the midfielder’s low shot from a difficult angle drifts well wide.
Arsenal had a corner, but Saka took too long to take it, and the referee blew up for the break.
2 hrs ago
6:05PM
So Arsenal will be much happier with the opening 45 minutes.
PSG have been uncharacteristically sloppy and ineffectual going forward.
The Gunners have soaked up the pressure well, and sporadically look like a threat on the counter-attack.
You suspect that if Arsenal score the next goal, it’s all over, as PSG are really struggling to break their rivals down.
That said, the level of concentration and effort required on the Gunners’ part to relentlessly defend in numbers and go so long without the ball is bound to take a toll, so PSG could capitalise on their opponents’ tiredness and find more space as the match develops.
FULL-TIME: PSG 1-1 ARSENAL – EXTRA-TIME TO BE PLAYED
1 hr ago
7:08PM
Arsenal make more changes.
Zubimendi and Eze are on.
Lewis-Skelly and Havertz go off.
1 hr ago
7:08PM
Extra-time has begun…
1 hr ago
7:10PM
92 mins: A low cross by Madueke is cut out for a corner.
Interestingly, Arsenal have made six subs now, PSG have only changed two players.
1 hr ago
7:12PM
93 mins: Madueke’s initial corner is headed clear.
And the second one goes straight out.
That’s disappointing for Arsenal, given that they are set-piece specialists.
1 hr ago
7:14PM
95 mins: Arsenal have started this period well.
It’s perhaps no surprise they look a bit fresher, given all the subs they have made.
Although PSG make another change as I type, as Ruiz makes way for Zaïre-Emery.
1 hr ago
7:17PM
Gyökeres gets booked for cynically tripping Ramos as he attempts to counter-attack.
That’s Arsenal’s third booking compared to one for PSG.
1 hr ago
7:19PM
100 mins: A speculative shot from distance by Hakimi goes well off target.
PSG are looking very tired and far from their effervescent best.
1 hr ago
7:23PM
104 mins: Penalty shout from Arsenal as Madueke goes down under a challenge by Mendes.
Rice is booked for protesting the decision vehemently.
It won’t be given.
Judging from replays, it’s the type of call that could go either way and it was clumsy by the defender who was the wrong side of his man, but the winger was certainly looking for it.
59 mins ago
7:24PM
Here’s a look at that big chance for PSG at the end of normal time.
Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
44 mins ago
7:39PM
113 mins: PSG have lacked cutting edge for most of this game.
In the latest example, a long series of passes ends with a cross straight into David Raya’s arms.
This feels a little bit like watching Spain at a major tournament in those occasional games when they have so much possession, but can’t break their opponents down.
41 mins ago
7:42PM
117 mins: Neves gets away from Hincapié on the right.
The midfielder’s cross then falls for Ramos, who can’t get a proper connection on his shot.
40 mins ago
7:43PM
119 minutes: Timber gets the ball in a promising position on the right.
But his low cross goes into the side netting.
39 mins ago
7:44PM
120 mins: A Gyökeres shot from the edge of the area deflects behind for a corner.
FULL-TIME: PSG 1-1 ARSENAL – PENALTIES TO BE PLAYED
35 mins ago
7:47PM
That’s that.
After a tense extra time, it goes to penalties.
It feels appropriate, as there has been very little to separate these sides in a tight game.
35 mins ago
7:48PM
Teams
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O’Brien, Rieko Ioane, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Caelan Doris (captain).
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Alex Usanov, Thomas Clarkson, Diarmuid Mangan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Harry Byrne, Robbie Henshaw.
LIONS: Quan Horn; Angelo Davids, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Erich Cronje; Chris Smith, Nico Steyn; SJ Kotze, PJ Botha, Sebastian Lombard; Reinhard Nothnagel, Darrien Landsberg; Siba Mahashe, Batho Hlekani, Francke Horn (captain).
PSG get over the line in the end to win the Champions League for the second successive season.
It was a relatively underwhelming performance by the state-owned club, compared to the high standards they have previously hit.
Arsenal deserve immense credit for another brilliant defensive play, as they largely restricted their opponents to half-chances.
But there’s probably a sense of a missed opportunity too, given how uncharacteristically poor the French champions were in the final third.
Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all had quiet games, even though the latter won the penalty.
Both sides had a few chances to win, and both were denied what looked like strong penalty calls.
In the end, misses from Gabriel and Eberechi Eze proved costly.
Given the calibre of football they played this season, it is probably deserved overall, and it’s hard to argue against the notion of PSG being the best team in Europe.
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As it happened: PSG v Arsenal, Champions League final
PSG 1-1 Arsenal (PSG win 4-3 on penalties)
Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.
There’s a strong case to be made that Arsenal and PSG are the two best teams in Europe right now, and that is rarer than you think in the Champions League final.
It certainly wasn’t the case last year, when Luis Enrique’s side hammered Inter 5-0 to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
The Gunners, meanwhile, have never won this competition.
It is only their second appearance in the final, having lost 2-1 to Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona in 2006.
Given the quality of their squad, PSG will be most people’s favourites to prevail. However, Arsenal will come into this game in buoyant form, having just ended a 22-year wait to win the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta’s side are widely regarded as having the best defensive setup in Europe — they have conceded just twice in the knockout stages so far, whereas PSG conceded five against Bayern Munich alone.
If the English side can keep it tight and deny the French champions the space in which their array of world-class attackers can thrive, they will fancy their chances of causing an upset.
Kick-off is at 5pm.
Confirmation of the two starting XIs…
Who do you think will win?
Poll Results:
We’re underway…
3 mins: Not much has happened yet.
As expected, PSG are dominating possession with Arsenal sitting back.
PSG 0-1 ARSENAL (HAVERTZ 6)
Out of nothing, Arsenal take the lead.
An attempted clearance out wide is blocked down, and it falls fortuitously for Kai Havertz.
The German still has plenty of work to do, bursting into the area before firing home from a tight angle.
Already, the decision to start the attacker ahead of Viktor Gyökeres has been vindicated.
Here’s a look at that opening goal…
Gabriel makes a crucial last-ditch challenge to stop Kvaratskhelia getting a shot on goal after the ball breaks kindly for the Georgian inside the area.
PSG have had 72% possession so far.
13 mins: Doué’s long ball picks out Ruiz’s run.
But the midfielder’s low shot from a difficult angle drifts well wide.
20 mins: This game is panning out as most people expected.
PSG are dominating possession for long periods, but Arsenal are defensively well-organised and giving very few chances away.
23 mins: A scheduled water break is now taking place.
Mikel Arteta will likely be happy with how this game has gone so far.
26 mins: Saka puts in a dangerous low cross after good work in the build-up from Lewis-Skelly.
Goalkeeper Safonov gets a hand to parry the ball away ahead of Trossard, and PSG clear.
The goalkeeper has taken a knock, however, and his potential replacement, Lucas Chevalier, is warming up on the bench.
32 mins: It has been a stop-start game, which suits Arsenal.
The North Londoners’ style has prevailed so far.
34 mins: After a long build-up of passes, Dembele scoops the ball right into the arms of Raya.
That sums up PSG’s attack so far. They have barely laid a glove on Arsenal.
36 mins: Rice initially escapes with the ball before Saka draws a foul from Mendes.
The subsequent free kick ends with an infringement from Gabriel.
Arsenal need more of those moments where they relieve the pressure on their defence.
40 mins: It remains largely akin to an attack-v-defence training session.
PSG’s attack is widely regarded as the best in Europe, but Arsenal have made them look pretty ordinary so far.
Luis Enrique’s side are starting to look a little short of ideas.
42 mins: Mendes gets past Mosquera on the left-hand side of the area.
The full-back’s cross is deflected to Ruiz, whose header is off target.
There will be six minutes of first-half stoppage time.
That’s an indication that this hasn’t been the most thrilling of halves.
45 + 2 mins: Doue gets the ball outside of the area and balloons a shot well over.
The cheers of the Arsenal fans starkly contrast with PSG’s palpable frustration.
Big chance for Arsenal out of nothing.
Havertz gets another sight at goal, but Marquinhos makes a crucial last-ditch intervention.
45 + 5 mins: PSG finally register a shot on goal.
But Ruiz’s mis-hit cross is comfortably saved by Raya.
HALF-TIME: PSG 0-1 ARSENAL
There was an unusual end to the half.
Arsenal had a corner, but Saka took too long to take it, and the referee blew up for the break.
So Arsenal will be much happier with the opening 45 minutes.
PSG have been uncharacteristically sloppy and ineffectual going forward.
The Gunners have soaked up the pressure well, and sporadically look like a threat on the counter-attack.
You suspect that if Arsenal score the next goal, it’s all over, as PSG are really struggling to break their rivals down.
That said, the level of concentration and effort required on the Gunners’ part to relentlessly defend in numbers and go so long without the ball is bound to take a toll, so PSG could capitalise on their opponents’ tiredness and find more space as the match develops.
We’re back underway…
47 mins: Mosquera has already been booked for taking too long at a throw-in.
This referee is clearly determined to crack down on time-wasting.
A look at a first-half penalty claim below, involving Bukayo Saka and an alleged handball.
Were PSG unlucky not to be awarded a spot kick?
54 mins: Saka has been booked for a mistimed challenge on Doue.
Raya doesn’t have too much trouble saving the ensuing free kick from Hakimi.
PSG continue to probe without seriously threatening.
You suspect they will surely carve out a clear-cut chance or produce a moment of magic at some point.
60 mins: It remains a relatively scrappy match.
Arsenal still look comfortable defensively.
Although as I type, Doue finds space down the right but can’t pick out a PSG player with his low cross.
PENALTY FOR PSG!
Kvaratskhelia gets in behind Mosquera, and the defender fouls him.
It’s a stonewall penalty.
The Arsenal star is lucky to avoid a second yellow.
PSG 1-1 Arsenal (Dembele 65)
Dembele sends the goalkeeper the wrong way and finds the bottom left-hand corner.
It’s a great penalty under pressurised circumstances.
67 mins: Arsenal make changes.
Mosquera and Ødegaard go off.
Gyökeres and Timber come on.
Here’s a look at the penalty call…
And here’s the equaliser…
70 mins: Another scheduled water break is taking place.
PSG are looking more confident now, while Arsenal seem a little downbeat following that setback of conceding.
72 mins: Arsenal concede possession cheaply.
But Gabriel then does well to prevent Dembele from getting a clear shot on goal.
77 mins: PSG hit Arsenal on the counter.
Kvaratskhelia escapes Saliba and bursts towards goal.
The Georgia international’s low finish then deflects via Lewis-Skelly onto the post.
80 mins: Lewis-Skelly does really well to stay with the run of Doue and win a free kick.
This game is starting to become very stretched now.
83 mins: PSG’s latest attempt sees Pacho head over from a corner.
More changes for Arsenal.
Trossard and Saka go off.
Madueke and Martinelli come on.
For PSG, Barcola replaces Kvaratskhelia.
85 mins: Barcola escapes on the counter-attack, evading Saliba and bears down on goal.
But Raya reads the situation perfectly and gets to the loose ball just before the PSG winger.
89 mins: So close for PSG!
Doue feeds it to Vitinha, and the midfielder’s curled effort on the edge of the area is inches over, shaving the crossbar.
There will be six minutes of stoppage time.
90 + 5 mins: PSG make another change – Dembele is replaced by Ramos.
The French champions continue to dominate possession without creating much.
90 + 7 mins: Barcola escapes down the left again on the counter-attack.
But the winger can only find the side netting with his finish from a tight angle.
FULL-TIME: PSG 1-1 ARSENAL – EXTRA-TIME TO BE PLAYED
Arsenal make more changes.
Zubimendi and Eze are on.
Lewis-Skelly and Havertz go off.
Extra-time has begun…
92 mins: A low cross by Madueke is cut out for a corner.
Interestingly, Arsenal have made six subs now, PSG have only changed two players.
93 mins: Madueke’s initial corner is headed clear.
And the second one goes straight out.
That’s disappointing for Arsenal, given that they are set-piece specialists.
95 mins: Arsenal have started this period well.
It’s perhaps no surprise they look a bit fresher, given all the subs they have made.
Although PSG make another change as I type, as Ruiz makes way for Zaïre-Emery.
Gyökeres gets booked for cynically tripping Ramos as he attempts to counter-attack.
That’s Arsenal’s third booking compared to one for PSG.
100 mins: A speculative shot from distance by Hakimi goes well off target.
PSG are looking very tired and far from their effervescent best.
104 mins: Penalty shout from Arsenal as Madueke goes down under a challenge by Mendes.
Rice is booked for protesting the decision vehemently.
It won’t be given.
Judging from replays, it’s the type of call that could go either way and it was clumsy by the defender who was the wrong side of his man, but the winger was certainly looking for it.
Here’s a look at that big chance for PSG at the end of normal time.
And here’s a look at the penalty that wasn’t…
HALF-TIME: PSG 1-1 ARSENAL
More PSG changes.
Vitinha and Marquinhos are off.
Zabarnyi and Lucas Beraldo come on.
The second half has begun…
109 mins: Doue fouls Madueke as Arsenal win a free kick in a promising position.
But Safonov parries away Rice’s subsequent delivery.
A few minutes earlier, Raya made a vital intervention to stop Ramos from getting to the ball after it was headed across the goal.
113 mins: PSG have lacked cutting edge for most of this game.
In the latest example, a long series of passes ends with a cross straight into David Raya’s arms.
This feels a little bit like watching Spain at a major tournament in those occasional games when they have so much possession, but can’t break their opponents down.
117 mins: Neves gets away from Hincapié on the right.
The midfielder’s cross then falls for Ramos, who can’t get a proper connection on his shot.
119 minutes: Timber gets the ball in a promising position on the right.
But his low cross goes into the side netting.
120 mins: A Gyökeres shot from the edge of the area deflects behind for a corner.
FULL-TIME: PSG 1-1 ARSENAL – PENALTIES TO BE PLAYED
That’s that.
After a tense extra time, it goes to penalties.
It feels appropriate, as there has been very little to separate these sides in a tight game.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O’Brien, Rieko Ioane, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Caelan Doris (captain).
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Alex Usanov, Thomas Clarkson, Diarmuid Mangan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Harry Byrne, Robbie Henshaw.
LIONS: Quan Horn; Angelo Davids, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Erich Cronje; Chris Smith, Nico Steyn; SJ Kotze, PJ Botha, Sebastian Lombard; Reinhard Nothnagel, Darrien Landsberg; Siba Mahashe, Batho Hlekani, Francke Horn (captain).
Replacements: Franco Marais, Eddie Davids, RF Schoeman, Ruan Delport, Siba Qoma, JC Pretorius, Rynhard Jonker, Haashim Pead.
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU).
PSG will go first…
Ramos scores. 1-0 PSG.
Gyökeres scores. 1-1.
Doue scores. 2-1 PSG.
Eze pulls it wide. Still 2-1 PSG.
Mendes’ penalty is saved by Raya. Still 2-1 PSG.
Rice scores. 2-2.
Hakimi scores. 3-2 PSG.
Martinelli scores. 3-3.
Beraldo scores. 4-3 PSG.
Gabriel misses. PSG win 4-3.
FULL-TIME: PSG BEAT ARSENAL 4-3 ON PENALTIES
So that’s that.
PSG get over the line in the end to win the Champions League for the second successive season.
It was a relatively underwhelming performance by the state-owned club, compared to the high standards they have previously hit.
Arsenal deserve immense credit for another brilliant defensive play, as they largely restricted their opponents to half-chances.
But there’s probably a sense of a missed opportunity too, given how uncharacteristically poor the French champions were in the final third.
Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all had quiet games, even though the latter won the penalty.
Both sides had a few chances to win, and both were denied what looked like strong penalty calls.
In the end, misses from Gabriel and Eberechi Eze proved costly.
Given the calibre of football they played this season, it is probably deserved overall, and it’s hard to argue against the notion of PSG being the best team in Europe.
Right, that’s all from me for now.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
You can read our match report here and we’ll have more reaction to follow.
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UEFA Champions League Final Liveblog Minute-by-Minute Soccer Arsenal PSG