The match was played on the night of August 12, 2026, at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria.
It brought together Paris Saint-Germain, winners of the UEFA Champions League, and Aston Villa, winners of the UEFA Europa League. Both clubs promote Rwanda’s tourism through the Visit Rwanda partnership.
The match attracted a large audience, including many Rwandans. Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, said the two teams could compete, but Visit Rwanda would ultimately be the winner.
In a post on X, Minister Nduhungirehe wrote: “Football is a simple game: 22 men run after a ball for 90 minutes, but in the end, #VisitRwanda always wins. Thank you very much PSG.”
Minister Nduhungirehe also praised Somali referee Omar Artan, who officiated the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, describing him as an exemplary referee.
“Omar Artan showed the whole world what an excellent referee he is. A great match officiated by this son of Somalia and Africa,” he said.
Somali referee Omar Artan made history by becoming the first referee from outside Europe to officiate a UEFA Super Cup match.
Just a week earlier, he had been in Rwanda with fellow referees Liban Abdulrazack of Djibouti and Eliezer Stephen Yiembe of Kenya to officiate a match in the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup.
The UEFA Super Cup began with Paris Saint-Germain dominating proceedings, spending much of the opening minutes in Aston Villa’s half. PSG took the lead in the 20th minute.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored after positioning himself well inside the penalty area and receiving a well-delivered pass from Désiré Doué, capitalising on a poorly positioned Aston Villa defence.
Aston Villa’s Brian Madjo, who had missed several chances earlier, levelled the score in the 45th minute after receiving a fine pass from John McGinn.
It was Madjo’s first goal for Aston Villa and came in his first appearance for the club. He had signed for Villa in January 2026 but had been unable to play because of questions surrounding his age. Earlier in August 2026, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed that he was 17.
Madjo became the youngest player to feature in a UEFA Super Cup and also the youngest player to score in the competition.
PSG, who had been widely considered favourites, restored their lead in the 62nd minute through Désiré Doué, who finished after receiving a pass from Ousmane Dembélé. The goal was confirmed after referee Omar Artan consulted his VAR colleagues.
After 11 years, Doué became the first player in UEFA Super Cup history to score a goal and provide an assist in the same match. The feat had last been achieved by Luis Suárez in 2015.
Aston Villa continued attacking in search of an equaliser, but failed to find a way through as the match ended 2-1, giving Paris Saint-Germain their second UEFA Super Cup title.
Both of PSG’s UEFA Super Cup victories have come against English clubs. Their previous triumph came against Tottenham Hotspur.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery suffered his fourth defeat in the UEFA Super Cup. His previous defeats came in 2014 and 2015 while managing Sevilla, and in 2021 while in charge of Villarreal.
Both clubs are partners of Rwanda.
The partnership between Visit Rwanda and Paris Saint-Germain was first signed in 2019 and renewed in 2025, with the current agreement running until 2028.
Under the agreement, PSG promotes Visit Rwanda at its Parc des Princes stadium and displays the Visit Rwanda brand on its training kit.
Since the partnership was established, millions of fans around the world have gained greater awareness of Rwanda through media coverage, visibility and other promotional activities.
The partnership has also enabled more than 400 children to receive football training through PSG Academy Rwanda, an academy established by the French club in Rwanda.
Every year, PSG sends players and club legends to Rwanda, where they explore the country’s attractions and share their experiences with their followers.
The latest visitors were Océane Nathalie Toussaint Dit Marseille, Baby Jordy Benera and Jade Le Guilly of the PSG women’s team, who visited Rwanda at the end of February this year.
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) says such partnerships help Rwanda continue positioning itself as a leading tourism destination globally. This is expected to be further strengthened through the visibility of the Visit Rwanda brand on the training kits of PSG’s youth teams in the United States.
Meanwhile, in July 2026, Aston Villa announced a partnership with Visit Rwanda under which the club will promote Rwanda’s tourism on the front of its shirts.
Under the agreement, Visit Rwanda will become Aston Villa’s Principal Partner, Official Tourism Partner and Official Coffee Provider.
The Visit Rwanda logo will appear on the front of the shirts of all Aston Villa teams, including the men’s, women’s and youth teams, as well as in other prominent locations.
Beyond tourism promotion, the partnership will focus on positioning Rwanda as a country offering opportunities for investment, international events, conferences and sporting activities.
The two sides will also collaborate on initiatives aimed at developing football and coaching, charitable activities, promoting good governance and providing opportunities for skills development.
