Official Team Sheets Confirmed: PSG vs Arsenal 2026 UEFA Champions League Final Starting Lineups Revealed

The official starting lineups for the 2026 UEFA Champions League Final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal have been confirmed. Managers Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta have named their eleven players each for the showpiece occasion at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, with kickoff taking place at 17:00 BST. The selections have delivered several talking points, including one significant surprise in Arteta's defensive setup that has already generated widespread discussion.

The Official Lineups in Full

Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Safonov

Defenders: Hakimi (RB), Marquinhos (CB), Pacho (CB), Mendes (LB)

Midfielders: Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves

Forwards: Dembélé (RW), Kvaratskhelia (LW), Doué (SS / AM)

PSG line up in their familiar 4-3-3 structure under Luis Enrique, with the full squad fit and available as confirmed in the pre-match build-up. Achraf Hakimi, who had been battling a thigh issue following the semi-final against Bayern Munich, starts at right back — a significant boost for the French champions. Ousmane Dembélé also starts after the fitness concerns surrounding him in the days before the final, leading the line on the right flank. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia takes the left, while Désiré Doué operates in the attacking midfield / second striker role. Club captain Marquinhos partners Willian Pacho in central defence, and Aleksey Safonov continues in goal.

Arsenal (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Raya

Defenders: Mosquera (RB), Saliba (CB), Gabriel (CB), Hincapie (LB)

Midfielders: Lewis-Skelly, Ødegaard, Rice

Forwards: Saka (RW), Havertz (CF), Trossard (LW)

Arsenal's lineup carries the biggest surprise of the two: Piero Hincapie starts at left back rather than Riccardo Calafiori, who had been widely expected to get the nod. Cristhian Mosquera — not Jurrien Timber — starts at right back, a decision that underlines the significant injury complications Arteta has navigated in his defensive unit over the final weeks of the season. Despite being named fit to start in pre-match press conference remarks, Timber does not feature in the starting eleven.

The attacking shape is as expected: Bukayo Saka on the right, Kai Havertz through the middle as centre-forward, and Leandro Trossard on the left. Myles Lewis-Skelly partners Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice in the midfield trio. The spine of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães at centre-back remains intact, with David Raya starting in goal behind them.

Analysing the Key Selection Decisions

Mosquera Over Timber at Right Back

This is arguably the biggest call of Arteta's team selection and will dominate discussion going into the match. Cristhian Mosquera, a composed and physically imposing defender more naturally suited to centre-back, has been asked to play at right back — a position that will see him come face-to-face with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, one of the most dangerous wide players in European football. Timber's absence from the starting lineup, despite Arteta's confident pre-match fitness assessment, suggests there may have been a late change of plan or an undisclosed physical concern that prevented him from being risked from the first whistle.

If Mosquera can handle Kvaratskhelia's direct running and combinations with Nuno Mendes, it will be a masterstroke of pragmatic selection. If he struggles, it could be the weakness PSG target.

Hincapie Over Calafiori at Left Back

Piero Hincapie gets the nod over the more experienced Riccardo Calafiori at left back. Hincapie, the Ecuadorian international, is athletic and aggressive in his defending and offers energy up and down the flank. His selection suggests Arteta may be looking for pace and directness rather than the ball-playing qualities that Calafiori typically brings.

PSG: Hakimi and Dembélé Both Fit and Starting

For PSG, the news could not be better. Both Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembélé — the two players whose fitness had been most closely monitored — are confirmed starters. Hakimi, widely regarded as the world's best attacking right back, provides a genuine threat down the flank and will likely be a constant attacking outlet for Luis Enrique's team. Dembélé's return to full fitness is equally significant. The French forward has been the standout player of PSG's entire Champions League campaign, with goal contributions across every knockout round.

The Tactical Picture

Both sides line up in a 4-3-3 formation, setting up a fascinating mirror match at every position. The central midfield battle between Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard and Myles Lewis-Skelly on one side, and Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha and João Neves on the other, is likely to define the tempo of the match.

Arsenal will look to press high and win the ball quickly in advanced areas — a system that has served them throughout the competition. PSG will seek to use their wide players' pace and directness to stretch Arsenal's newly-configured back four, with Kvaratskhelia vs Mosquera the most anticipated individual duel on the pitch.

William Saliba and Gabriel remain the reassuring constant in Arsenal's defensive unit. Their partnership has been one of the most dominant in Europe all season, and PSG will need moments of genuine individual brilliance to unlock it.

What Is at Stake

Arsenal enter the final having already secured the Premier League title — their first domestic championship since the iconic Invincibles season of 2003-04. A victory tonight would complete an extraordinary double and deliver the first Champions League title in the club's 139-year history.

PSG, by contrast, are chasing back-to-back European crowns. Should Luis Enrique's side lift the trophy tonight, they would become only the second club in the Champions League era to defend the title, following Real Madrid's three consecutive triumphs between 2016 and 2018.

Arsenal are also one match away from completing an unbeaten Champions League campaign — a feat only nine clubs in history have achieved.

Conclusion

The official lineup confirmations have added fresh tactical intrigue to an already compelling final. Arteta's defensive reshuffle — with Mosquera at right back and Hincapie at left back — is a bold, necessity-driven decision that may well determine the outcome of the match. PSG's good news regarding Hakimi and Dembélé's fitness means Luis Enrique has his strongest possible attacking options available from the first minute.

Both squads are now on the pitch. The 2026 UEFA Champions League Final is underway.

Kickoff: 17:00 BST | 18:00 CET. Puskás Aréna, Budapest. Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany).

⚽ Watch the match LIVE at: celebsammedia.com

Reported by CM NEWS Sports Desk — May 30, 2026.