UEFA Super Cup: Format, History, and 2026 Contestants Explained

The UEFA Super Cup marks the start of the European club football season. Scheduled for the evening of August 12, 2026, at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, this match kicks off the 2026/27 campaign by pitting two champions from the previous season against each other.

This annual fixture features the winners of the UEFA Champions League facing off against the reigning UEFA Europa League champions. It's a single-match event acting as a curtain-raiser before most European leagues begin their fixtures in mid-August.

Is the UEFA Super Cup a Major Trophy?

Though it might not carry the same prestige as the Champions League or domestic leagues, the UEFA Super Cup is still regarded as a major trophy. Clubs qualify only by winning one of the two main European tournaments, making the silverware highly sought after despite the game’s showcase status.

Who Will Play in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup?

The 2026 edition will see Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa clash. PSG secured their second consecutive Champions League title last season and are the defending Super Cup champions, having won against Tottenham on penalties (2-2, 5-4) in 2025.

Aston Villa claimed the 2025/26 Europa League trophy, their first major continental honor since the 2001 Intertoto Cup. Their last Super Cup appearance was in 1982 when they defeated Barcelona 3-1 over two legs.

UEFA Super Cup Format

The Super Cup is a one-off match. If tied after 90 minutes, the game proceeds directly to penalties without extra time. This format change began in 2024, removing extra time to reduce player fatigue early in the season. Since 1998, the contest shifted from a two-legged tie to a single match.

Past Winners of the UEFA Super Cup

• 2025: Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 Tottenham (5-4 on penalties)
• 2024: Real Madrid 2-0 Atalanta
• 2023: Manchester City 1-1 Sevilla (5-4 on penalties)
• 2022: Real Madrid 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
• 2021: Chelsea 1-1 Villarreal (6-5 on penalties)
• 2020: Bayern Munich 2-1 Sevilla (after extra time)
• 2019: Liverpool 2-2 Chelsea (5-4 on penalties)
• 2018: Atletico Madrid 4-2 Real Madrid (after extra time)
• 2017: Real Madrid 2-1 Manchester United
• 2016: Real Madrid 3-2 Sevilla (after extra time)
• 2015: Barcelona 5-4 Sevilla (after extra time)
• 2014: Real Madrid 2-0 Sevilla
• 2013: Bayern Munich 2-2 Chelsea (5-4 on penalties)
• 2012: Atletico Madrid 4-1 Chelsea
• 2011: Barcelona 2-0 Porto
• 2010: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Inter
• 2009: Barcelona 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk (after extra time)
• 2008: Zenit St. Petersburg 2-1 Manchester United
• 2007: Milan 3-1 Sevilla
• 2006: Sevilla 3-0 Barcelona
• 2005: Liverpool 3-1 CSKA Moscow (after extra time)
• 2004: Valencia 2-1 Porto
• 2003: Milan 1-0 Porto
• 2002: Real Madrid 3-1 Borussia Dortmund
• 2001: Liverpool 3-2 Bayern Munich
• 2000: Galatasaray 2-1 Real Madrid (golden goal)
• 1999: Lazio 1-0 Manchester United
• 1998: Chelsea 1-0 Real Madrid
• 1997: Barcelona 3-1 Borussia Dortmund (aggregate)
• 1996: Juventus 9-2 Paris Saint-Germain (aggregate)
• 1995: Ajax 5-1 Real Zaragoza (aggregate)
• 1994: Milan 2-0 Arsenal (aggregate)
• 1993: Parma 2-1 Milan (aggregate)
• 1992: Barcelona 3-2 Werder Bremen (aggregate)
• 1991: Manchester United 1-0 Red Star Belgrade
• 1990: Milan 3-1 Sampdoria (aggregate)
• 1989: Milan 2-1 Barcelona (aggregate)
• 1988: Mechelen 3-1 PSV Eindhoven (aggregate)
• 1987: Porto 2-0 Ajax (aggregate)
• 1986: Steaua Bucharest 1-0 Dynamo Kiev
• 1984: Juventus 2-0 Liverpool
• 1983: Aberdeen 2-0 Hamburg (aggregate)
• 1982: Aston Villa 3-1 Barcelona (aggregate)
• 1980: Valencia 2-2 Nottingham Forest (away goals)
• 1979: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Barcelona (aggregate)
• 1978: Anderlecht 4-3 Liverpool (aggregate)
• 1977: Liverpool 7-1 Hamburg (aggregate)
• 1976: Anderlecht 5-3 Bayern Munich (aggregate)
• 1975: Dynamo Kiev 3-0 Bayern Munich (aggregate)
• 1974: Ajax 6-1 Milan (aggregate)