If you are still fiending for soccer action after the 2026 World Cup, tune into theUEFA Super Cup!
The match serves as a warm-up for the Premier League, which opens later this month. It is played between the winner of the Champions League, which this year is Paris Saint-Germain, and the victor of the Europa League, which is Aston Villa. PSG won back-to-back Champions League titles by beating Arsenal in a penalty shootout. The Villans won the Europa League final by besting German side Freiburg, 3-0, for their first major trophy in 44 years.
The Super Cup was founded in 1973 with the idea coming from a Dutch sportswriter to see if Ajax really could hang with the best clubs in Europe. The competition has seen several iterations and was an aggregate
battle until 1998 when it became a single fixture. The location has also changed and now rotates cities throughout Europe.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have each made their mark on the Super Cup. Neither will participate in this year's matchup because Messi plays for Inter Miami in the MLS and Ronaldo is on Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
World Cup star Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the final, is reportedly in talks to join Paris Saint-Germain from FC Barcelona. With a deal not officially done, he will not appear on the pitch. Also for PSG, Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi is not likely to play in this match and is awaiting trial in a rape case. Players are still trickling into camp from the World Cup, which creates further questions of who will be competing.
Who are the other stars who might appear in this year's Super Cup?
Ousmane Dembélé - PSG
Ousmane Dembélé will probably not play in the Super Cup, but he's not officially ruled out. The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner helped boost France to the semifinals of the World Cup. He finished the tournament with six goals, including a hat trick - in the first half- against Norway. Dembélé previously spent time with Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona before joining PSG in 2023.
Emiliano Martínez - Aston Villa
Emiliano Martínez had 11 saves in the loss to Spain, which is the most in a World Cup final. While he doesn't draw the attention that Lionel Messi does, the Argentine goalkeeper is still worth watching. He joined the English side in 2020 after spending time with Arsenal.
Marquinhos - PSG
He might not be as famous as his Brazil teammates Neymar or Vini Jr., but Marquinhos has established himself as a leader. When Neymar and Messi left PSG in 2023, Marquinhos was the veteran that led them to back-to-back Champions League titles. He has been on the Ligue 1 side since 2013 when he was 19 years old.
Ezri Konsa - Aston Villa
Ezri Konsa made a splash in the World Cup by scoring one of England's six goals in the 10-goal third place bonanza against France. He joined Aston Villa in 2019 after a stint with Brentford and is a versatile player who bolsters the defense.
João Neves - PSG
João Neves is a rising star and played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal in this summer's World Cup. He scored the country's first goal of the tournament and did so in the first six minutes of the Group K opener. Neves joined PSG in 2024 after reaching the quarterfinals of the European Championship with Portugal.
Ollie Watkins - Aston Villa
Ollie Watkins might have been outshined in the World Cup by Three Lions teammates Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, but he is a hero at Aston Villa. He joined the club in 2020 and his 91 Premier League goals is the most in team history.
How to watch the 2026 Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Date: Wednesday, Aug. 12
- Location: Red Bull Arena in the suburbs of Salzburg, Austria
- Streaming: Paramount+
Watch the UEFA Super Cup on Paramount+
European soccer leagues' 2026 key upcoming dates
- Aug. 15: La Liga season openers (Real Madrid's first match is Aug. 22; FC Barcelona's first match is Aug. 23)
- Aug. 16: FA Community Shield: Arsenal vs. Manchester City
- Aug. 20: Ligue 1 season opener: Olympique Marseille vs. Strasbourg (Paris Saint-Germain's first match is Aug. 22)
- Aug. 21: Premier League season opener: Arsenal vs Coventry City
- Aug. 22: Serie A season opener: Inter Milan vs. Monza
- Aug. 28: German Bundesliga season opener: Bayern Munich vs. Stuttgart
- Sept. 8-10: UEFA Champions League: Matchday 1 of league phase
- Sept. 16-17: UEFA Europa League: Matchday 1 of league phase
- Oct. 15: UEFA Conference League: Matchday 1 of league phase
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Ousmane Dembélé play in Super Cup? Here's PSG, Aston Villa stars expected in match
