How Long Has It Been Since Arsenal Last Stormed Into a Champions League Final?

As Arsenal Women were being crowned the best team in Europe at the close of the 2024–25 season, the men's squad were left contemplating the bare shelves of their trophy cabinet.

The Gunners can point to two continental honors — the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the 1994 Cup Winners' Cup — though neither are considered major trophies, as Arsenal continue their quest to lift the Champions League for the very first time.

Arsenal have come agonizingly close on previous occasions and remain optimistic about going the distance this season, with just 90 minutes standing between them and a place in the final.

Should Mikel Arteta's men make it to the showpiece occasion, they will be hoping for a better outcome than their previous appearance on that stage.

Arsenal's Last Champions League Final Appearance

The Gunners made history in 2006 as the first London club to reach a Champions League final, with Arsène Wenger's team navigating their way to the grand occasion in Paris. Arsenal cruised through an undemanding group stage before turning heads in the knockout rounds, eliminating Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal without letting in a single goal.

Standing in Arsenal's way at the Stade de France that evening was a Barcelona side just beginning to unlock the potential of a young Lionel Messi. The Argentine had been a first-team starter that season but saw his campaign cut short beyond the round of 16 due to a hamstring injury.

The absence of Messi was hardly a blow for Barcelona, who still boasted the talents of Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Deco in their starting eleven, with future legends Xavi and Andrés Iniesta waiting on the bench.

Barcelona starting XI: Valdés; Oleguer, Márquez, Puyol, Van Bronckhorst; Edmilson, Deco, Van Bommel; Giuly, Eto'o, Ronaldinho.

Arsenal starting XI: Lehmann; Eboué, Touré, Campbell, Cole; Pirès, Gilberto, Fàbregas, Hleb; Ljungberg; Henry.

For all of Arsenal's quality, Barcelona were overwhelming favorites. They were broadly regarded as the finest side in the world and hardly needed the advantage handed to them when Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was dismissed after just 18 minutes.

Lehmann etched his name into the history books for the wrong reasons, becoming the first player ever sent off in a European Cup final after bringing down Eto'o outside the penalty area. Ludovic Giuly proceeded to find the net, but the goal was disallowed due to the red card.

Reduced to ten men, Arsenal dug deep and remarkably took the lead when Sol Campbell headed in a Thierry Henry free kick just before half-time, and they held firm against relentless Barcelona pressure until the 76th minute, when Eto'o finally drew the scores level.

Only four minutes later, substitute Juliano Belletti drove home the winner, condemning Arsenal to the unwanted distinction of being the first club to finish as runners-up in the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup.

Arsenal's Last European Final Appearance

Arsenal have in fact suffered defeat in three major European finals. In addition to their Champions League heartbreak in 2006, the Gunners also reached the UEFA Cup final in 1999–00 and the Europa League final — the modern-day equivalent of the UEFA Cup — in 2018–19.

Their 2000 final ended in a penalty shootout loss to Galatasaray, while the 2019 defeat to Chelsea stung especially hard, as former fan favorite Olivier Giroud broke the deadlock in a crushing 4–1 victory that also served as Eden Hazard's farewell appearance for the Blues.

Arsenal's European Record in Champions League Era