Declan Rice Reveals Moment He ‘Knew’ Arsenal Would Make 2026 Champions League Final

The Gunners last qualified for the biggest match in club soccer in 2006.

Declan Rice embodied the Arsenal determination to get through. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Declan Rice said he “knew” Arsenal would win their Champions League semifinal against Atlético Madrid as soon as Bukayo Saka gave the Gunners a second-leg lead on Tuesday night.

After a 1–1 draw in Madrid last week, Saka’s solitary rebound goal right before halftime proved decisive, with Arsenal securing a place in the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years.

Despite being England’s third most successful team in terms of league championships (13), the Gunners have never gone all the way in Europe’s elite competition in men’s soccer—the club’s women have done it twice. The chance to change that doesn’t come around often and is huge.

“It is chaos [in the dressing room],” Rice revealed on the Amazon Prime Video broadcast.

“I don’t think you can underestimate what we have done in this competition up to this point. I think we have every right to celebrate that moment. The most prestigious competition in club football. We are just trying to soak it all in.”

The Gunners remain unbeaten in the Champions League this season, taking maximum points from eight league phase matches and successfully navigating six knockout fixtures across three rounds.

“We knew coming into the game what was at stake. If you can't get up for that, then you can't get up for any game of football. When we went 1–0 up, I knew we were going to win. I could feel something special building,” Rice added.

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Arsenal on the Brink of History

Arsenal lost 20 years ago. | ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images

In 2006, it was Barcelona in Paris. In 2026, it will be either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest. Either continental heavyweight would be worthy of their place in the final alongside the Gunners on May 30, but Arsenal will fancy their chances as a solid defensive unit.

Although Spain has the most European Cup/Champions League wins by overall volume—largely thanks to Real Madrid winning 15 times—England has the most different winners.

Six English team have previously been crowned European champions—Manchester United (3), Liverpool (6), Nottingham Forest (2), Aston Villa (1), Chelsea (2), Manchester City (1)—compared to only two from Spain. Arsenal, as well as making their own history, could extend that record.

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