Paris Saint-Germain manager, Luis Enrique, has declared that the French champions are targeting every available trophy as they prepare to open their competitive campaign against Aston Villa in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.
The Champions League holders will face Europa League winners Aston Villa at the Stadion Salzburg in Austria on Wednesday, August 12, with Luis Enrique challenging his players to demonstrate their quality on the pitch rather than relying on the success they enjoyed last season.
PSG head into the meeting as defending UEFA Super Cup champions after beating Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in last year’s final. The Parisians are also coming off another hugely successful campaign in which they strengthened their position among Europe’s elite.
UEFA confirmed that the Super Cup will bring together PSG, winners of the Champions League, and Aston Villa, who claimed the Europa League title. The match is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. local time in Salzburg.
For Luis Enrique, however, past achievements will count for little once the two sides step onto the pitch.
The Spanish coach has insisted that PSG’s ambition remains as high as ever, with the club determined to compete for every trophy available.
“We want to win everything,” Enrique told reporters ahead of the match.
He acknowledged that maintaining such a level of dominance is extremely difficult, particularly for a club competing on several fronts, but said PSG would continue to pursue that objective.
The ambition reflects the mentality that has developed within the Parisian squad under Enrique. PSG have increasingly transformed themselves into a team built around collective strength, intensity and tactical flexibility rather than relying solely on individual brilliance.
The upcoming Super Cup therefore represents more than an opportunity to add another trophy. It is also the first major test of whether the European champions can immediately reproduce the standards that made them so successful last season.
PSG’s preparations for the fixture have been relatively short, while Aston Villa have had a longer pre-season programme. That difference could become significant during a match involving two teams entering the new campaign under different circumstances.
Enrique admitted that it was difficult to make a firm assessment of Villa based only on their pre-season outings.
The PSG boss said his team would have to wait until the match itself to determine exactly how Unai Emery’s side would approach the contest and what condition both teams would be in.
He also warned that opponents have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to cause problems, meaning PSG cannot afford to become complacent because of their status as European champions.
“We have to show what our level is and that has to be shown on the pitch,” Enrique said.
The encounter also brings back memories of the two clubs’ most recent competitive meeting. PSG and Aston Villa faced each other in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2025, with the French side eventually progressing despite Villa winning the second leg at Villa Park.
Aston Villa’s return to the Super Cup is particularly significant for the English club. Their Europa League triumph ended a long wait for major European silverware and gave Emery’s side an opportunity to face the reigning Champions League winners at the beginning of another demanding European season.
The Villa squad has undergone significant changes since their Europa League success, with several important players leaving during the summer. It is reported that departures and injuries have left Emery dealing with a considerably altered squad ahead of the encounter.
PSG, meanwhile, have also been active in the transfer market.
One of the notable developments has been the return of French defender, Lucas Digne, to the Paris club. Digne previously played for PSG before moving on to other European clubs and later spending time at Aston Villa.
His transfer has added an unusual subplot to Wednesday’s meeting because Digne has moved directly from Villa to PSG shortly before the two clubs meet for the Super Cup.
PSG captain, Marquinhos, welcomed Digne’s return, describing him as a good friend and expressing happiness that the defender was back in Paris.
Digne’s move means the Super Cup could have a particularly emotional dimension for the France international, although his availability for the match remains a separate matter from his transfer.
Another player attracting attention around PSG is Bradley Barcola. The winger has been linked with a potential move to Liverpool, adding further transfer speculation to a PSG squad already preparing for a new campaign.
Despite the off-field stories surrounding the team, Enrique’s focus remains firmly on football.
The coach wants PSG to begin the new season with the same competitive mentality that helped them establish themselves as one of Europe’s leading clubs.
The Super Cup will provide an early opportunity to test that mentality against an Aston Villa side managed by one of Europe’s most experienced coaches in Unai Emery.
Villa will enter the contest with their own ambitions. Emery has already spoken about the importance of continuing the club’s upward trajectory following their Europa League triumph. The English side will also be hoping to repeat the success of their only previous Super Cup appearance, when they defeated Barcelona over two legs in 1982.
For PSG, victory would provide another trophy and allow them to begin the new season in familiar fashion.
The club’s recent dominance has created enormous expectations, and Enrique appears fully aware that winning once is not enough at a team with PSG’s ambitions.
The French champions are aiming to compete for Ligue 1, domestic honours and European trophies again, while the Super Cup provides the immediate opportunity to add another piece of silverware to their collection.
With the Champions League winners facing the Europa League holders in Salzburg, the fixture offers an early meeting between two clubs coming off successful European campaigns.
Enrique’s message is clear: PSG are not satisfied with what they have already achieved.
The Spanish coach wants his players to maintain their hunger, prove their quality on the pitch and pursue every available trophy.
For a club that has already established itself as the team to beat in Europe, the challenge now is to maintain that standard.
And against Aston Villa on Wednesday, PSG will have their first opportunity to show whether their pursuit of more history can begin with another European trophy.