Arsenal 2006 v 2026 - select your team

Arsenal's first XI for the 2006 Champions League final contained some stellar names

Fresh from being crowned Premier League champions, Arsenal have a chance to make history when they face Paris St-Germain at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Saturday.

If Mikel Arteta can win the Champions League, he will have achieved something even the great Arsene Wenger failed to do. The last and only time the Gunners played in the final of Europe's elite competition was 20 years ago, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona after going down to 10 men.

Wenger's 2006 squad contained many of the 'Invincibles' who went unbeaten in the Premier League in 2003-04, including Thierry Henry, Ashley Cole and Cesc Fabregas.

The 10 consecutive clean sheets Arsenal recorded on their way to the 2006 final in Paris remains a European competition record, as they knocked out Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal.

How does Arteta's side measure up? BBC Sport compared both squads.

You can use our selector to choose which Arsenal players from the 2006 team would make it into the current squad.

Former German international Jens Lehmann made 200 appearances for Arsenal and featured in all 38 league games during their 'Invincibles' campaign.

His night in Paris ended early after he was shown a red card just 18 minutes into the final for bringing down Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o, meaning Wenger had to bring on Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia in his place.

David Raya is a strong contender for Arsenal's player of the season 2025-26, with the Spain keeper recording 19 clean sheets in the Premier League to win his third consecutive golden glove award.

After making a controversial transfer from Tottenham in 2001, Sol Campbell won two league titles and three FA Cups with Arsenal, as well as scoring in the 2006 Champions League final.

Alongside him was Ivorian Kolo Toure - moulded by Wenger from a central midfielder into one of the league's finest centre-backs.

Both were key parts of Arsenal's 'Invincible' season.

At right-back, Ivorian Emmanuel Eboue was a cult figure at Arsenal under Wenger, making 214 appearances between 2005 - 2011.

Meanwhile, Cole is widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in the history of the Premier League. He was part of the Gunners' 'Invincibles' side of 2003-04, as well as the Chelsea side that scored a then-record 103 goals in 2009-10.

For Arteta's side, French centre-back William Saliba is ever reliable and was voted in the Professional Footballers' Association team of the year three consecutive seasons between 2023 and 2025.

Alongside him, Gabriel is another contender for Arsenal's player of the season. As well as being solid at the back, he ended the Premier League season with seven goal involvements (three goals, four assists).

Since 2000, the pair rank second behind Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in terms of Premier League partnerships with the most clean sheets.

With Ben White injured, Arsenal fans will be hoping that Dutch defender Jurrien Timber can make it back from injury in time to play right-back against PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Meanwhile, Arteta has options at left-back and has rotated this season between Italian full-back Riccardo Calafiori, Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapie and academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly.

'It's been written' - Arsenal players look ahead to Champions League final

Arsenal lined up for the 2006 Champions League final with five in midfield. Playing in the holding role was Brazil's 2002 World Cup winner Gilberto Silva, nicknamed "the invisible wall".

Next to him in central midfield was Spanish playmaker Cesc Fabregas - who notched up an incredible 111 assists and 50 goals across 350 Premier League appearances for Arsenal and Chelsea.

Fabregas, then 19, was named in Uefa's 2006 team of the year.

On the wings for Wenger's side were Belarusian midfielder Alexander Hleb and Frenchman Robert Pires.