On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, the main event of the football summer will take place at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria — the UEFA Super Cup match. The reigning Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain, will face the Europa League triumphators, Birmingham's Aston Villa. For the Parisians, this is a chance to defend their title, while for the English side, it is an opportunity to bring the cup back to England 44 years after their last participation in this tournament.
Squad lineups: fitness issues and transfers
PSG's preparation under Luis Enrique for this match has not been without difficulties. The team faced challenges in recovering key players after the 2026 World Cup final. While Nuno Mendes and Vitinha have already received playing time in pre-season matches, the status of Ousmane Dembélé, Fabián Ruiz, and Achraf Hakimi remains in question. Their participation in the decisive match will depend on the coaching staff's decision at the last moment.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa's squad has undergone significant changes this summer. The Birmingham side lost Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, while defender Luc Digne has moved to PSG, adding intrigue to the team duel. However, the English side has strengthened with Alejandro Garnacho and João Gomes. Unfortunately, Joan Zambo Anguissa and Amadou Onana will miss the game due to injuries.
Ukrainian presence in the Parisian squad
Special attention from fans is focused on PSG's Ukrainian defender, Ilya Zabarnyi. Last year, immediately after transferring from Bournemouth, he was present at the Super Cup match where the Parisians defeated Tottenham in a penalty shootout, but he did not make the squad. The current edition will be the Ukrainian's first real chance to win a major European trophy as part of the French giant. Zabarnyi and his teammates are determined to win and ready to secure another award for the club.
History of the rivalry and Unai Emery's statistics
For Aston Villa's head coach, Unai Emery, this match will be his fourth attempt to win the UEFA Super Cup. Despite his status as a recognized master of the Europa League, the Spanish specialist has previously lost in the finals of this tournament three times. Aston Villa, in turn, has a glorious history in this tournament: in their only appearance in 1982, the Birmingham side defeated Barcelona and won the trophy. Now, more than four decades later, the team has returned to this stage.
Broadcast and analytics in Ukraine
In Ukraine, the official broadcaster of the match will be the media service MEGOGO. The match will be available in the "Football" section of the "Sports" category, as well as within the "Sports" and "MEGOPACK" subscriptions. An analytical studio will be organized for football fans, starting at 21:00 Kyiv time. Host Serhiy Lukyanenko will discuss the match with experts: former Ukraine national team player Oleksandr Holovko and head of MEGOGO's football editorial department Vadym Skichko. The match itself will be commented on by Volodymyr Zverev and Oleksandr Novak.
