SALZBURG, Austria — President Paul Kagame attended the 2026 UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg on Wednesday, August 12, as Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa met in one of European football’s major annual fixtures, bringing together two clubs connected to Rwanda through the country’s international tourism promotion initiative, Visit Rwanda.
The match at Stadion Salzburg featured Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning UEFA Champions League winners, against Aston Villa, the UEFA Europa League champions. UEFA confirmed that the competition traditionally brings together the holders of Europe’s two leading club tournaments. Paris Saint-Germain secured the trophy with a 2-1 victory, becoming the third club to retain the UEFA Super Cup in consecutive seasons.
Kagame’s presence drew particular attention because both competing clubs have partnerships with Visit Rwanda, giving the match additional significance for Rwanda’s international tourism and sports-marketing strategy. In an official statement announcing his attendance, the Presidency of Rwanda described the occasion as bringing together “two Visit Rwanda partners,” identifying Paris Saint-Germain as the Champions League winners and Aston Villa as Visit Rwanda’s newest football partner.
The encounter provided an unusual moment in which two European clubs associated with Rwanda’s tourism brand competed directly for a major continental trophy. Rwanda has increasingly used partnerships with internationally recognized sports organizations and clubs as part of its strategy to present the country to global audiences and strengthen its visibility as a tourism, investment and conference destination.
On the field, Paris Saint-Germain took the lead through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before 17-year-old Brian Madjo equalized for Aston Villa. Désiré Doué later scored the decisive goal as the French champions completed a 2-1 victory. UEFA subsequently named Doué Player of the Match as Paris celebrated another European trophy in Salzburg.
The Super Cup also carried broader international significance for Salzburg. UEFA selected Stadion Salzburg to host the competition for the first time, bringing one of European club football’s showcase matches to the Austrian city. The governing body had described the fixture ahead of kickoff as a meeting between the reigning champions of its two principal men’s club competitions.
For Rwanda, however, the evening extended beyond the sporting result. The appearance of two Visit Rwanda partner clubs on the same European stage offered international exposure for a tourism campaign that has increasingly linked Rwanda’s national branding with globally followed sports.
President Kagame’s attendance placed Rwanda directly within that international sporting setting, as supporters around the world watched Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa compete in Salzburg. The Presidency’s emphasis on the clubs’ relationship with Visit Rwanda underscored the government’s view of international football partnerships as a platform for expanding Rwanda’s global visibility.
With Paris Saint-Germain ultimately lifting the trophy following its 2-1 victory, the Salzburg encounter combined elite European football with a notable moment for Rwanda’s international sports and tourism engagement, as two clubs associated with the Visit Rwanda brand shared the same stage in a major UEFA final.
