Arsenal dan Paris Saint-Germain dijadwalkan bertanding memperebutkan trofi Liga Champions musim 2025-2026 di Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hongaria, pada Sabtu, 30 Mei 2026 pukul 17.00 BST atau 23.00 WIB. Laga ini mempertemukan Arsenal yang memegang rekor tak terkalahkan sepanjang turnamen dengan juara bertahan Paris Saint-Germain yang berambisi mempertahankan gelar mereka.
Dilansir dari BBC, Arsenal melaju ke final dengan catatan pertahanan terbaik setelah membukukan sembilan kali tanpa kebobolan dari total laga yang dijalani. Sebaliknya, Paris Saint-Germain yang dilatih oleh Luis Enrique merupakan tim paling produktif di kompetisi musim ini dengan torehan 44 gol dalam 16 pertandingan.
Berdasarkan data dari Al Jazeera, perjalanan kedua tim menuju final sangat kontras karena Arsenal langsung mendominasi fase liga dengan delapan kemenangan beruntun. Sementara itu, Paris Saint-Germain harus melewati babak playoff knockout melawan Monaco setelah tertahan di peringkat ke-11 pada fase liga sebelum akhirnya menyingkirkan Chelsea, Liverpool, dan Bayern Munchen.
Manajer Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, mengungkapkan bahwa persiapan timnya berjalan sangat baik dan fokus setelah berhasil mengamankan gelar juara Liga Inggris sebelas hari sebelumnya. Arteta menegaskan ambisi besar skuadnya untuk mencatatkan sejarah baru bagi klub di kompetisi tertinggi Eropa ini.
"Great. The preparation has been really, really good, really focused, really positive. We are here because we have earned the right to be here in the manner that we have played and performed in the competition, and tomorrow on that field we're going to have to earn the right to win the trophy." kata Arteta saat diwawancarai dalam konferensi pers sebelum pertandingan.
Mengenai kondisi kebugaran pemain, juru taktik asal Spanyol tersebut memastikan bahwa Jurrien Timber dan Noni Madueke siap dimainkan untuk laga final, sedangkan Ben White menjadi satu-satunya pemain yang dipastikan absen. Arteta juga menambahkan bahwa kekalahan dari Paris Saint-Germain pada babak semifinal musim lalu memberikan banyak pelajaran berharga untuk menghadapi pertandingan kali ini.
"[Jurrien Timber] is fit. [To start?] Yes, and Noni as well. The only one [out] is Ben White." kata Arteta.
"We certainly use examples and things that we have learnt from those three matches and it's a lot to take from them, but it's true that we have evolved in a different way, and they have evolved in a different way. Their scenario is different as well. We took some learnings and some things that we have to do better, and I'm sure that will happen tomorrow." tambah Arteta terkait evaluasi dari pertemuan musim lalu.
Arteta juga memuji kualitas Luis Enrique yang dinilainya telah memberikan identitas dan mentalitas kuat pada permainan Paris Saint-Germain sejak menangani klub Prancis tersebut. Pertandingan final ini menjadi kesempatan besar bagi Arsenal untuk meraih gelar ganda setelah sebelumnya memastikan trofi Premier League.
"It's because I look around and I see the joy and the desire that all of them have to play this match. We all know that it is the biggest game in football, and everybody wants to be part of that. They all understand what it takes and also how important everybody is to make an impact when it's needed." ujar Arteta mengenai antusiasme skuadnya.
"He's always been a reference since he was a player, because he was a very special player. Then when he became a coach, if you look at his journey when he left Spain and he went abroad and when he came back and what he's done, in particular what he's done with this PSG club and team, you can see his fingerprints all over it. The identity, the mentality, the way the players behave, the way they play. So he's been an inspiration and tomorrow we'll be clashing with each other on that touchline." kata Arteta memuji Enrique.
"I think it's the opportunity to own the moment because it's the second time in our history that we are here and we have the opportunity tomorrow to write a new chapter in the history of this football club. In order to do that, we have to play tomorrow with such clarity, a lot of courage and a relentless desire to win. We have those three aspects and I'm sure that we're going to be close to winning." lanjut Arteta mengenai target sejarah klub.
"No, the ambition is bigger. We have won one and we want the second one. That's all we've been talking about. That has to be a platform to reach bigger destinations and to aim for more. The team is capable because we've shown it in the last two or three seasons in this competition, and I want the players to be so confident that we're going to go and do it." tegas Arteta mengenai tekanan pasca-juara liga.
"No, not directly because you know how Arsene is and he doesn't want to be in the way, but I know how we all feel. I spoke to a lot of ex-players who have been in this position as well and they are rooting for us. It's an opportunity for us as a club to write something new that we've never done, so that's what we want to do." ungkap Arteta saat ditanya mengenai komunikasi dengan Arsene Wenger.
"In a really similar way. I think the process and the journey that took us all the way here are remarkable, from the team. We earn it in the manner that we have approached the competition in every game, and the contributions and performances that we have through our players. Tomorrow is the last game to go and win it and bring it home." jelas Arteta mengenai visualisasi kemenangan.
"They want more. I think going through those moments brings you a different kind of desire because when you lift it, you know exactly how it feels and you want to reproduce that feeling as many times as possible. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to do that." kata Arteta memaparkan mentalitas para pemainnya.
"Not that many but there's still some time to go through things. We have a bit more certainty as well with certain players that could be on that pitch, but in relation to the context of the game and what can happen tomorrow, we need to be ready." ujar Arteta mengenai penentuan susunan pemain.
"When I watched the games back [from last season’s semi], I was very pleased with what I saw and I was even more confident about the feeling I had before about how close and how unlucky we were in a lot of moments not to go through to that final. It's a different moment, the teams have evolved in certain ways and tomorrow we'll play a different game, I'm sure." kata Arteta.
"we had one issue that we corrected after 15-20 minutes, that turned the game around" kata Arteta mengenang perubahan taktik pada musim lalu.
Di sisi lain, mantan pelatih Chelsea Enzo Maresca turut memberikan pandangan mengenai cara menghadapi intensitas permainan dari skuad Paris Saint-Germain setelah timnya meraih kemenangan di Piala Dunia Antarklub.
"The idea was to go man-to-man. PSG are so good that if you give them time you are going to struggle. You have to press them very intensely." kata Enzo Maresca.
Mantan manajer Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, juga menyampaikan harapannya agar klub asal London Utara tersebut berhasil membawa pulang trofi bergengsi Eropa itu ke Emirates Stadium.
"I want this trophy to go to the Emirates" kata Arsene Wenger.
Pertandingan final di Budapest ini menjadi pembuktian terakhir bagi kedua tim setelah mengarungi format baru kompetisi dengan Paris Saint-Germain yang mengejar gelar kedua mereka atau Arsenal yang membidik trofi Liga Champions pertama sepanjang sejarah klub.
