The lowdown on Paris Saint-Germain

Aston Villa look to lift a second European trophy in the space of three months on Wednesday, when taking on Paris Saint-Germain for the UEFA Super Cup.

Stadion Salzburg in Austria provides the perfect backdrop for the 2026/27 curtain-raising clash between the respective winners of last season’s Europa League and Champions League.

For both sides, it’s the opportunity to add the Super Cup trophy to their cabinet for the second time in history – Villa last lfiting it in 1983 and PSG 12 months ago in 2025.

The French outfit will be hoping to retain their crown having done so with the Champions League last term, establishing themselves as arguably the best team on the planet.

Here is the lowdown on Paris Saint-Germain…

Scenesetter

Founded just 55 years ago in 1970, PSG have rather quickly solidified their status as France’s most successful club side, with 14 Ligue 1 titles and over 50 major domestic and international trophies.

Last season’s Champions League triumph saw them retain the trophy, having lifted it for the first time the year before, and means that in addition to the Super Cup, they will also compete for this year’s FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

A star-studded side of players has shot to the very top of world football over the past two years, with Luis Enrique’s men on a streak of five consecutive Ligue 1 titles, meaning they will meet Lens next weekend for the Trophée des Champions.

The Villans have only met with the Parisians on two previous occasions, both coming in the 2024/25 season – in our two-legged tie with PSG in the Champions League Quarter-Finals.

In the Dugout

Luis Enrique is set to begin his fourth season as PSG boss, having been appointed in the summer of 2023 after two separate spells in charge of Spain’s national team.

Champions League wins in the last two campaigns have taken his total tally to three, ranking him joint-second in history behind only Carlo Ancelotti, level with Pep Guardiola, Zinedine Zidane and Bob Paisley, and establishing his name as one of the most successful managers of the modern era. 

The former Barcelona chief won a domestic treble in his first season at the Parc des Princes, taking his total managerial trophy haul up to 12, a tally which has since risen to 22.

A versatile attacking midfield player, Enrique represented both Real Madrid and Barcelona during the 1990s and 2000s, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España.

Following his retirement, he began coaching with Barcelona’s ‘B’ side in 2008, going on to lead Roma and Celta de Vigo before returning to the Catalan outfit at senior level in 2014.

At Camp Nou, Enrique won the lot. The 2015 Champions League and subsequent UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup were the highlights among two La Liga titles, three Copa del Reys and a Supercopa de España.

He left Barcelona in 2018, before taking up a role in charge of the Spanish national team, which he held – over two spells – until 2022, stepping down after elimination from the 2022 World Cup at the round of 16 stage.

The Captain

Experienced central defender Marquinhos has been with the French side for well over a decade having signed in the summer of 2013, and assumed captaincy in September 2020, succeeding fellow Brazilian defender Thiago Silva.

PSG’s record appearance holder, the 32-year-old also has over 100 games under his belt in the Champions League and 110 caps for his country, for whom he also wears the armband, having featured in the FIFA World Cup over the summer.

The former Roma man has been a mainstay in Paris throughout his team’s domestic and recent European dominance, with a record 11 Ligue 1 titles, eight Coupe de France winners medals, six Coupe de la Ligues, 10 Trophée des Champions and two Champions Leagues to his name.

Their Home

The breathtaking Parc des Princes has been home to PSG since 1973 and holds over 48,500 spectators.

Located in Paris' 16th arrondissement, the venue was the home of both the country’s national football and rugby union sides until the opening of the Stade de France in 1998.

It has hosted major tournament matches in the World Cup and European Championship, as well as European Cup finals, Rugby World Cup games, Olympic Games events and music concerts with the likes of Prince, Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones.

Villa have played their on just one occasion, in the first leg of their 2024/25 Champions League Quarter-Final tie. 

Three to Watch

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

An exciting forward most regularly deployed on the left wing, Kvaratskhelia joined PSG in January 2025 after two and a half impressive seasons at Napoli which delivered two Serie A titles.

The 25-year-old is already regarded by many as the greatest Georgian footballer of all time. He has been a large part of PSG’s success over the past 18 months, and has an impressive 23 goals in 50 international appearances.

Vitinha

PSG’s midfield metronome, Vitinha signed for PSG from Porto in 2022, after a spell in the Premier League on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Since his arrival in the French capital, the 26-year-old has established his name as one of the best midfielders on the planet, and started all five of Portugal’s games at this summer’s World Cup.

Nuno Mendes

Another who started every game for Portugal at the World Cup, Nuno Mendes has stated his case to be recognised as the best left-back in international football over recent years.

The 24-year-old has made close to 200 appearances for PSG since signing – initially on loan – from Sporting CP in 2021, and is one game off a half-century of appearances for his country.

Last Season

The 2025/26 campaign saw PSG again push their own boundaries, winning the Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup and Trophée des Champions in addition to claiming their 14th Ligue 1 title.

Their qualification for this year’s Super Cup, however, came from a second successive campaign in the Champions League.

An 11th place finish in the league phase set up a Round of 32 meeting with fellow French side Monaco, from which they emerged 5-4 aggregate victors.

An 8-2 aggregate thrashing of Chelsea saw them face another English team in Liverpool in the Quarter-Finals, where they won 2-0 both at home and away.

A thrilling 5-4 win at home to Bayern Munich in the Semi-Final first leg meant a 1-1 draw in Germany was enough to see them through to the Final.

There, in Budapest, Arsenal took an early lead six minutes in through Kai Havertz, though Enrique’s men rallied and took the game to a penalty shoot-out thanks to Ousmane Dembélé’s 65th-minute strike from the spot.

Gabriel Magalhães missed the decisive spot-kick for the Gunners to ensure PSG tasted success for the second year running, as Marquinhos lifted the grand trophy high into the Hungarian sky.