Arsenal vs PSG: How does this year’s Champions League final compare to previous editions?

Paris Saint-Germain ended their Ligue 1 campaign with a disappointing 2-1 loss at the hands of their city rivals Paris FC. However, the French Champions will have to face a bigger challenge when they will face Mikel Arteta's Arsenal in the Champions League final on May 30.

How does the 2026 Champions League final compare to previous editions?

2021: Chelsea vs Manchester City

The last time the Champions League final was contested by two sides in the same league was back in 2021, when Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea side went on a remarkable run, beating Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and finally Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on the way to lifting a second Champions League. The final was a tense affair, as Guardiola surprisingly opted to drop Rodri from his midfield, which saw Chelsea ease their way to a 1-0 victory courtesy of a Kai Havertz goal. PSG fans will be hoping that Havertz, who will be playing in his second Champions final next week, doesn’t repeat the trick.

Better or worse matchup than 2026: Worse. Although it was a fairly exciting game, any game that features two sides from the same country is automatically slightly less intriguing since it’s a fixture that’s already occurred at least twice over the course of the season.

2022: Liverpool vs Real Madrid

A match which took place in Paris, but which saw Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool take on Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. Liverpool, arguably pre-match favourites, dominated the game but were unable to beat the formidable Thibaut Courtois in goal for Los Blancos. Madrid managed to snatch the win early in the second half, when a Federico Valverde cross was turned in at the back post by Vinicius Junior.

Better or worse matchup than 2026: Even. It was somehow a similar dynamic to this year: two good sides but one slight favourite – Madrid, like Arsenal would have to in case of victory, had to be defensively resolute, and Liverpool, like PSG are, were equipped with arguably the most firepower in Europe at that time.

2023: Man City vs Inter

For the third year in a row, the Champions League was decided by a single goal, and in 2023, it was Manchester City’s Rodri who slotted the ball into the back of the net from 20 yards out. Inter had had a huge semi final win over city rivals Milan, but were unable to truly get going in the final against a dominant City side who completed a historic treble.

Better or worse matchup than 2026: Worse. Unfortunately, City’s dominance going into the game – having thrashed Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the Quarter and Semi finals respectively – meant that this wasn’t a Champions League final for the ages. Most neutrals anticipated a comfortable City win, and while Inter were perhaps more resolute than could have been expected, City did eventually go on to win their first ever Champions League trophy.

2024: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

A strange final, it saw Real Madrid face off at Wembley against a Borussia Dortmund side coming off the back of a pretty woeful domestic Bundesliga campaign in which they finished in 5th place. Dortmund had actually managed to beat Luis Enrique’s PSG in the Semi Finals (remaining the last side to do so over two legs in Europe) but despite some early chances, were eventually beaten at Wembley, with Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior scoring two late goals to sink the German side.

Better or worse matchup than 2026: Worse. Once again, there isn’t that much debate. Again, it was an uneven matchup, and once again, there was a sense that neither side was truly the best team in Europe at this point. A drab final confirmed people’s lowly expectations.

2025: PSG vs Inter

Last year’s final saw the Parisians finally manage to win a long awaited Champions League as they disposed of Inter 5-0 in one of the most dominant European final performances of all time. The French Champions had been on a brilliant run leading up to the final, beating three English sides in Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal, before dismantling Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena. Inter, who themselves had qualified for the final via an epic semi-final encounter against Barcelona, were blown away by the speed and precision of PSG’s attacks.

Better or worse matchup than 2026: It’s close, but worse. Prior to the game, most pundits had the final down as a fairly even tie, with the eventual blowout score-line proving a shock to even the most ardent believer in PSG. It would be miraculous were PSG to win by such an emphatic scoreline vs Arsenal’s resolute defence.

2026: Arsenal vs PSG

In what is probably a closer matchup on paper than a lot of the recent ties, PSG take on Arsenal in what is a mouth watering clash. The French side are probably slight favourites overall, but it certainly isn’t a foregone conclusion that they will life the trophy in Budapest next weekend.

The best final matchup of recent years on paper? It’s a tie. Liverpool vs Real Madrid in 2022 is probably the only matchup in recent years that looked as hard to call on paper as this one, although of course it’s impossible to know just how good the football on display will be next Saturday. Fans of either club won’t care as long as they win, of course, but for the neutrals out there, a classic Champions League final would be nice.

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