PSG face Aston Villa in Salzburg for UEFA Super Cup

Villa and PSG set for Salzburg showdown

The UEFA Super Cup takes place on Wednesday, 12 August, at Stadion Salzburg in Austria, with kick-off at 21:00 CET (20:00 BST). Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa will contest the first piece of European silverware of the season, an annual match between the winners of the previous season's Champions League and Europa League.

Villa secured their place having won the Europa League in May, beating German side Freiburg 3-0 in the final with goals from Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers. PSG reached the Super Cup after beating 2025/26 Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties in the Champions League final.

If the scores are level after 90 minutes, the match goes straight to penalties, with no extra time played.

A trophy with roots in the 1970s

The UEFA Super Cup was first proposed in 1971 by Dutch journalist Anton Witkamp, who wanted a way to determine the best team on the continent during a period when Dutch clubs dominated European football. The first edition was played in 1972, with Ajax beating Scottish side Rangers 6-3 on aggregate.

Until 2000, the match pitted the Champions League winner against the winner of the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup. It was officially rebranded the UEFA Super Cup in 1995, having previously been known as the Super Competition and then the European Super Cup.

Villa chasing a second title, 44 years on

Villa's only previous Super Cup appearance came in 1982, when they beat Barcelona 3-1 to win the trophy. Wednesday's match will be their second appearance, moving them level with Nottingham Forest among English clubs. A win would also move Villa level with Chelsea on two Super Cup titles, behind only Liverpool's four.

Liverpool have made the most Super Cup appearances by a Premier League club, with six (1977, 1978, 1984, 2001, 2005, 2019), and have won it four times. PSG, meanwhile, played in last year's final too, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 on penalties (4-3) in 2025. Historically, the Champions League winner has had the upper hand: 30 of the previous 50 Super Cup finals have gone the way of Europe's top club competition winner.