The 2026 UEFA Super Cup is set to feature UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain against UEFA Europa League victors Aston Villa. The match will take place at the Stadion Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday, 12 August, with a kick-off scheduled for 21:00 CET. This traditional European season curtain-raiser pits the champions of Europe’s two main club competitions against each other.
Paris Saint-Germain will be aiming to secure consecutive UEFA Super Cups, having lifted the trophy in 2025. Should they succeed, they would become only the second team in the modern era to retain the Super Cup, a feat previously achieved by Real Madrid in 2016 and 2017. The French champions previously defeated Tottenham on penalties in the 2025 edition held in Udine, Italy.
Aston Villa enters the fixture following their victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul. The club has a history with the Super Cup, having won it once before in the 1982/83 season by beating Barcelona 3-1 on aggregate over two legs. This upcoming match marks a significant occasion for both clubs as they vie for early European silverware.
Match Officials and Venue Details
The match will be officiated by Omar Artan, a Somali referee. Artan was named the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year. He was previously considered for the 2026 World Cup but was unable to enter the United States. His appointment was made after discussions between UEFA and CAF.
The venue for the final, Stadion Salzburg, also known as Red Bull Arena, is the home ground of FC Salzburg. This stadium, with a capacity of 30,000, has previously hosted group matches during Euro 2008, which Austria co-hosted with Switzerland. It is the first time this venue will stage a showcase UEFA club final.
The UEFA Super Cup has moved from its long-term home in Monaco, with Salzburg becoming the 14th different city to host the event since 2013. Previous host cities include Prague (2013), Cardiff (2014), Tbilisi (2015), Trondheim (2016), Skopje (2017), Tallinn (2018), Istanbul (2019), Budapest (2020), Belfast (2021), Helsinki (2022), Piraeus (2023), Warsaw (2024), and Udine (2025).
Team Preparations and Player News
For Paris Saint-Germain, manager Luis Enrique will be looking to add to his trophy tally since joining the club in 2023. The team recently announced the arrival of attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco. Young talent Senny Mayulu could be in line for a start, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has had an uninterrupted pre-season.
Paris’s predicted line-up includes Safonov; Zabarnyi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha, Dro Fernández; Mbaye, Mayulu, Kvaratskhelia. Several players, including Barcola, Dembélé, Doué, Fabián Ruiz, Hakimi, Lucas Hernández, and Zaïre-Emery, are listed as doubtful due to fitness concerns.
Aston Villa has also been active in the transfer market, with new signings potentially making their competitive debuts. These include centre-back Modou Kéba Cissé from Austrian side LASK, midfielder João Gomes from Wolves, and Argentinian winger Alejandro Garnacho on loan from Chelsea. Johan Manzambi, the 2025/26 Europa League Revelation of the Season winner, has joined from Freiburg but will miss the Super Cup due to a knee injury.
Aston Villa’s predicted line-up features Bizot; Cash, Lindelöf, Pau Torres, Maatsen; João Gomes, Kamara; McGinn, Buendía, Garnacho; Abraham. The team has several players out or doubtful, including Bailey (muscular), Manzambi (knee), and Onana (knee) out, while Garnacho (facial), McGinn (knee), Konsa, Martínez, and Watkins are doubtful due to fitness issues.
Historical Context and Previous Encounters
Historically, the Champions League winners have claimed 30 of the 50 previous Super Cups. The fixture has been an official event since 1973, initially pitting the European Cup/Champions League winner against the European Cup Winner’s Cup winner until 1999, after which the Europa League winner became the opponent.
Real Madrid holds the record for the most Super Cup victories with six titles, while Liverpool is the most successful English side with four wins. Aberdeen is the only Scottish club to have won the trophy. The only previous meetings between Paris and Villa occurred in the 2024/25 Champions League quarter-finals, where Paris edged out Villa 5-4 on aggregate.
If the scores are level after normal time in the upcoming match, the game will proceed directly to a penalty shoot-out without extra time. Live coverage of the match will be available through various broadcast partners.
Source: uefa.com