Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa will meet in Salzburg on Wednesday evening with the first European silverware of the new season at stake, as the UEFA Champions League holders face the Europa League winners in the UEFA Super Cup.
The match at the Red Bull Arena will also mark a historic occasion for the referee, with Somali official Omar Artan taking charge of the final. UEFA appointed the 34-year-old following consultations with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), making him the first non-European referee to officiate the UEFA Super Cup.
Artan has been on the FIFA international list since 2018 and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025. His appointment comes after he was unable to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry to the United States.
The Somali official has described the Super Cup appointment as a major honour, with the match providing a significant stage following the disappointment of missing the World Cup. He will be assisted by Djibouti’s Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed and Kenya’s Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe.
PSG looking to create history
PSG will start as favourites after completing a remarkable 2025-26 campaign by winning the Champions League, defeating Arsenal on penalties in the final.
Victory against Villa would see Luis Enrique’s side become only the fourth team to retain the UEFA Super Cup after Ajax, AC Milan and Real Madrid achieved the feat in previous years.
Enrique also has an impressive record in this competition, having won both of the previous Super Cup finals he has contested.
Villa boss Unai Emery, meanwhile, has experienced the opposite fortunes, losing all three of his previous Super Cup appearances.
The contrast between the two managers adds another layer to an intriguing contest.
Red & Blue in Salzburg! 🔴🔵#PSGAVFC pic.twitter.com/in5iN1XlwD
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 11, 2026
A new-look Aston Villa
Villa arrive after lifting the Europa League, but Emery’s squad has undergone significant changes during the summer.
The departures of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans have altered the make-up of the side, with Rogers joining Chelsea and Tielemans moving to Manchester United.
Emery will be expected to give opportunities to some of his new arrivals, including Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Gomes.
Johan Manzambi, however, remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
PSG also have changes to make
The French champions have also seen changes to their squad since their Champions League triumph.
Lee Kang-in and Gonçalo Ramos, who scored in last season’s Super Cup final, have moved on to Atlético Madrid and AC Milan respectively.
New arrivals Maghnes Akliouche and former Villa defender Lucas Digne could therefore feature as PSG begin their defence of the trophy.
The French side have also maintained an impressive scoring sequence, having found the net in every match since their defeat against Paris FC in January.
🎙️ Luis Enrique: “We're starting this season with the same mentality and the same desire to win important trophies.”#PSGAVFC https://t.co/SYw2WD3ch1 pic.twitter.com/sw5MiGTlZy
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 11, 2026
Another chapter in the Enrique-Emery rivalry
There is plenty of history between the two managers.
Their most famous encounter came in the 2017 Champions League, when Enrique’s Barcelona overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit against Emery’s Paris Saint-Germain with a stunning 6-1 victory at Camp Nou.
The pair have also met in a number of other high-profile encounters, including Barcelona’s nine-goal Super Cup thriller against Emery’s Sevilla in 2015.
More recently, PSG edged Villa 5-4 on aggregate in the 2024-25 Champions League quarter-finals.
PSG won 3-1 in Paris before Villa produced a memorable 3-2 victory at Villa Park, although it was not enough to overturn the deficit.
Across their 12 meetings as managers, Enrique has the superior record, winning eight, with Emery claiming three victories and one match ending in a draw.
Unai Emery: "To play for trophies, as a professional, is our objective." 👊#SuperCup
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 11, 2026
Penalties could be on the cards
History suggests that the match could go the distance.
Five of the last six UEFA Super Cup finals involving an English club have been decided by penalties.
There is also a remarkable trend favouring the Champions League holders. In 12 of the last 13 editions, the European champions have gone on to lift the Super Cup.
The only exception came in 2018, when Atlético Madrid defeated Real Madrid 4-2 after extra time.
With PSG’s attacking quality, Villa’s ability to cause problems and the history between Enrique and Emery, another entertaining encounter could be in store.
And with Omar Artan preparing to become the first non-European official to referee the UEFA Super Cup, Wednesday’s final will have an additional historic dimension
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