The Champions League final now has a brand-new kick-off time that most people didn’t notice.
After the Champions League semi-finals wrapped up, it’s official: Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain will take on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the final on May 30 in Budapest, Hungary.
Arteta’s team beat Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid 1–0 on Tuesday (2–1 on aggregate) thanks to a goal from Bukayo Saka. PSG drew 1–1 with Bayern Munich on Wednesday but won 6–5 on aggregate.
This will be Arsenal’s second ever Champions League final and their first since 2006, back in the days of Arsène Wenger and Thierry Henry. For PSG, it’s their third final; they lost to Bayern in 2020 but won big against Inter last year.
The final will be at Budapest’s Puskás Aréna, which holds 70,000 fans. It also hosted the 2023 Europa League final between Sevilla and Roma. Arsenal fans are already eager for tickets — the club has nearly 17,000 tickets, but many more will likely travel from London hoping to catch the big game.
One important thing for fans to know: the kick-off time has changed. Instead of starting at 8pm BST like in past years, the game will begin earlier at 5pm. UEFA made this change to improve the experience for fans, especially younger viewers and those watching from other countries.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin explained, “We want to put the fans first. An earlier start on a Saturday means the game ends sooner, even with extra time or penalties. This lets fans enjoy the rest of their evening with friends and family, reflecting on the match of the season.”