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Paris Saint-Germain retained the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg on Wednesday, August 12 — the 51st edition of the competition and the first ever held in Austria. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring, 17-year-old Brian Madjo levelled on his professional debut to become the youngest scorer in Super Cup history, before Désiré Doué — aided by VAR — settled matters in the 61st minute. PSG are now the fourth club in history to win back-to-back Super Cups, joining Ajax, AC Milan and Real Madrid.
Salzburg, Austria: If there was any doubt about who rules European football entering the 2026-27 season, Paris Saint-Germain answered it emphatically in the Austrian Alps. The reigning Champions League holders, the holders of this very trophy, and quite possibly the finest club side on the planet right now — Luis Enrique’s PSG began their new campaign exactly as they ended the last one: collecting silverware and adding to a cabinet rapidly running out of room.
The victory adds a 61st trophy to PSG’s honours list and a fifth European crown, following the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1996, the Super Cup in 2025, and their back-to-back Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026. For captain Marquinhos, it was his 40th trophy as a PSG player — a staggering testament to a decade and a half of elite consistency at the heart of the club’s rise. It also happened to fall on the club’s 56th birthday.
History on Both Sides of the Divide
PSG are now the fourth club to win the Super Cup in successive years, joining Ajax (1973/74), AC Milan (1989/90) and Real Madrid (2016/17). Aston Villa arrived in Salzburg as 2025-26 UEFA Europa League champions — Unai Emery having guided them to a 3-0 final victory over Freiburg in Istanbul — making him the most successful manager in UEFA Cup and Europa League history with five titles. Yet Emery’s Super Cup record remains a painful blank: four appearances, four defeats.
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Villa’s only previous Super Cup appearance came in 1982, when they beat Barcelona. PSG’s first was in 1996, when they lost to Juventus. Both clubs returned to this stage transformed — but only one left with the trophy.
The Lineup and the Early Exchanges
Emery named a young, pressing side at the Red Bull Arena: Bizot; Maatsen, Pau Torres, Lindelöf, Cash; Joao Gomes, Kamara; Madjo, Buendía, McGinn; Hemmings. Two teenagers — 17-year-old Brian Madjo and 19-year-old George Hemmings — started against a PSG team close to full strength. Ousmane Dembélé, notably, began on the bench.
PSG lined up as expected: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Zaïre-Emery; Akliouche, Doué, Kvaratskhelia. The first 12 minutes were competitive and intense, both sides pressing high, PSG finding it harder than usual to impose their usual rhythms on the game. It would not last.
Kvaratskhelia Breaks the Deadlock
In the 20th minute, Kvaratskhelia received a pass from Doué on the left side of the penalty area, gained a yard of separation from Matty Cash, cut inside, and with his right foot fired a powerful shot into the near corner before Marco Bizot could react. It was the first goal of the new European season, and it was scored in the manner Kvaratskhelia so often scores — making the difficult look routine. In doing so, he became the first Georgian player ever to score in a UEFA Super Cup, and extended a remarkable run of eight goals across his last ten UEFA competition appearances.
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Villa responded with intent. Madjo — the 17-year-old who few outside Villa Park had heard of before Wednesday — was a constant menace, registering six shots and accumulating 0.98 expected goals across the entire match. A header from a John McGinn cross flew just wide in the 27th minute. Villa were refusing to be overawed.
Madjo Writes Himself Into the Record Books
Just before halftime, the teenager got his reward. Meeting another precise McGinn cross while under pressure from Willian Pacho, Madjo directed the ball into the net with a composed finish. It was a goal of real quality, scored on his professional debut, in a European final, against one of the best sides in the world. At 17 years and 212 days, Brian Madjo became the youngest scorer in UEFA Super Cup history — surpassing Patrick Kluivert’s previous record of 19 years and 220 days set back in 1996. He was also the youngest player ever to start in the competition.
At halftime it was level. Villa had arguably created the better chances. The tie was very much alive.
Doué Wins It — With VAR’s Help
PSG made a key change at the break, bringing on Dembélé for Akliouche. Twelve minutes after the restart, the substitution paid off. Dembélé threaded a through-ball into Doué’s path and the 21-year-old curled a left-footed finish into the net from a tight angle in the 61st minute. The stadium erupted — then held its breath. The flag went up for offside. VAR reviewed. Matty Cash had kept Doué onside by the narrowest of margins. The goal stood.
Doué became the first player to score and assist in the same Super Cup match since Luis Suárez did so for Barcelona in 2015. Seconds after the goal, Madjo came agonisingly close to restoring parity — only for Matvey Safonov to produce a fine stop to deny him. Villa threw everything at PSG in the closing stages, ending the night with 15 shots to PSG’s 12. But the Parisians held on.
The Empire Continues
For Luis Enrique, this completes a personal treble of trophies — Ligue 1, the Champions League, and now the Super Cup — across a single calendar year. His PSG side, unbeaten in each of their last nine games in all competitions against English opposition, continue to set the standard in European football. Back-to-back Champions League crowns. Back-to-back Super Cups. A squad with depth, brilliance and an extraordinary will to win.
For Aston Villa, the defeat stings but the afternoon held real promise. Two teenagers who started a European final without flinching. A 17-year-old who scored against the best team in the world on his professional debut. A team that created more chances than the champions and pushed them to the very last minute.
PSG won because they had Doué and Kvaratskhelia. But Villa gave them a night they will long remember.
Result: PSG 2–1 Aston Villa (Kvaratskhelia 20′, Doué 61′; Madjo 45′)
Venue: Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria — August 12, 2026
Player of the Match: Désiré Doué (PSG) — goal and assist
