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Paris Saint-Germain kicked off Europe's new campaign in style, claiming a dramatic 2–1 win over Aston Villa in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, securing the first piece of European hardware of the 2026–27 season and asserting their dominance on the continent.
The defending Champions League holders, facing off against the Europa League champions, barely held on at the Red Bull Arena to lift their second straight Super Cup. PSG, having also won the 2024–25 Champions League title, edged past Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in the previous year's final following a late comeback. They become only the second club to win the Super Cup in consecutive years, joining Real Madrid, who accomplished the feat in 2016 and 2017.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia broke the deadlock in the 20th minute. The PSG winger collected a pass from Désiré Doué inside the box, made a sharp turn, and fired the ball past the diving hands of goalkeeper Marco Bizot.
The English outfit maintained their intensity, eventually leveling the score just before the break through a first-time finish from 17-year-old forward Brian Madjo. Despite PSG controlling the ball for much of the match, Aston Villa repeatedly threatened in the attacking third and finished the night with 15 shots compared to PSG's 12.
Doué had other ideas about letting the lead slip, however, netting the decisive goal in the 61st minute. He latched onto a through-ball from French international teammate Ousmane Dembélé and slotted it into the side-netting with his left foot. Both Doué and Dembélé were key contributors to Les Bleus' attack this summer as France advanced to the World Cup semifinals, and neither appears to have lost any sharpness since returning to club duty.
The match was officiated by Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who received the assignment after controversially being denied entry into the U.S. just days before he was set to referee the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Artan, recognized as Africa's top referee by CAF in 2025 and personally selected by FIFA to officiate the tournament, was subjected to an "additional inspection" by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and held for 11 hours at Miami International Airport before ultimately being deported.
Artan made history on Wednesday, becoming the first non-European official ever to referee a Super Cup.
What's Next for European Soccer?
The Premier League launches its new season on Aug. 21 with a showdown between defending champions Arsenal and newly-promoted Coventry City. Aston Villa's opening league fixture is scheduled for Aug. 23 against Brighton & Hove Albion.
France's Ligue 1 also gets underway on Aug. 21, with PSG's opening match set for Aug. 23 against Stade Rennais at the Parc des Princes. Italy's Serie A is also set to begin that same weekend.
Spanish La Liga gets the ball rolling a little earlier, on Aug. 15; however, supporters will need to be patient before seeing heavyweights Real Madrid and Barcelona make their seasonal bows, which are penciled in for Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, respectively. Meanwhile, the German Bundesliga returns slightly later on Aug. 28, opening with a showdown between defending champions Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart.
As for the major European club competitions, both the Champions League and Europa League remain in their qualifying rounds, with the main league phases for both tournaments set to commence in September.