Champions League | Pakistan

The final of this season’s Champions League in Budapest will kick off at 6pm local time (9pm PKT) rather than 9pm (midnight PKT) to “enhance the matchday experience”, UEFA announced on Thursday. The 2026 final will be played at the Puskas Arena on Saturday, May 30. “An earlier kick-off makes day trips more feasible, reduces travel stress, and allows fans to enjoy the occasion without worrying about late-night logistics,” said Ronan Evain, executive director for Football Supporters Europe, which worked on the subject with UEFA. Unlike the Europa League and Conference League finals, which are played in midweek, the Champions League showpiece has been held on Saturdays since 2010. “While a 21:00 CET kick-off is well suited for midweek matches, an earlier kick-off on a Saturday for the final means an earlier finish — regardless of extra time or penalties,” said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. Paris Saint-Germain won their maiden European Cup in last season’s final, beating Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich.

Thousands of Paris Saint-Germain supporters took to the streets of the French capital on Saturday to celebrate their club’s victory in the Champions League final, but clashes with the police led to the arrest of over 500 people, while two people lost their lives amid the celebrations in separate instances. As per the French interior ministry, a woman riding a scooter died after she was hit by a car in the southwest of Paris, while a 17-year-old in the southwestern town of Dax was stabbed to death during the celebrations. In total, 559 people were arrested, including 491 in Paris. The majority of fans celebrated peacefully, but Paris police said scuffles broke out near the city’s Champs-Élysées avenue and PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where 48,000 had watched the 5-0 win against Inter Milan in Munich on big screens. Most of the people detained were suspected of possessing fireworks and causing disorder, Paris police said. AFP journalists saw police use a water cannon to stop a crowd reaching the Arc de Triom...