Last evening in Budapest, Hungary, French football club PSG won a second consecutive Champions’ League by beating Arsenal (1-1, 4-3 on penalty kicks). It is one more trophy for PSG in this competition, right after a win in 2025 against Inter Milan (5-0). Paris can celebrate.
The game did not start well for the Parisians. Barely a couple of minutes after the first whistle blow (5’), Arsenal was scoring by their German striker Kai Havertz, making it 1-0 for the Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s squad deliberately left the ball possession to Paris and assumed defending for the rest of the game, trying to win a few seconds any time they could.
It did not appeal to the referee, who whistled half time while an Arsenal’s corner kick was taking too much time to play. Still, the Gunners reached the locker room with this small advantage.
Paris did not give up and scored by Ousmane Dembélé on penalty (1-1, 64’), still controlling the game but unable to score a second goal despite a few opportunities. The prolongations did not change the result. Time for penalty kicks: 4-3 for Paris, and Gabriel, one of the best Gunners last night, who sent his penalty kick in the sky of Budapest. Paris (and France) could breathe and say it: champions again !
What a great success for Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi, who wins his second Champions’ League with the Parisians. A great way to get prepared positively for the upcoming World Cup in North/Central America.
It is a great achievement for Spanish coach Luis Enrique as well, who grabs a third Champions’ League after 2015 with Barcelona, 2025 already with PSG and this one. Paris makes French history with this second consecutive title, and in Europe as well : very few clubs managed to win two Champions’ Leagues in a row.
Paris can celebrate, although the evening was unfortunately tainted by incidents in Paris that followed the victory of PSG.
Guillaume Mahot