Published May 30, 2026
Saturday’s grueling match ended 1-1 after extra time.Paris Saint-Germain held their spirits high in the tough Champions League final, defeating Arsenal 4-3 in a penalty shootout to retain the title and solidify the French team’s place among Europe’s modern powerhouse teams.
Arsenal defender Gabriel fired a spot-kick over Matvej Safonov’s crossbar at Budapest’s Puskas Arena. The failure confirmed that PSG will become the first club to retain the trophy since Real Madrid ended their three-year reign from 2016 to 2018.
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Long dismissed as unappealing underachievers despite vast resources, the Ligue 1 champions are now building a dynasty under Luis Enrique, combining attacking brilliance with resilience to establish themselves as the dominant force in European football.
“We are stronger than last year because we knew before the game how difficult it would be to play against Arsenal,” Enrique said. That team won Europe’s elite trophy for the first time a year ago, defeating Inter Milan 5-0.
“Winning is incredible, both as a club and as a city. I think we deserved it all season long. The final was a real battle,” added the Spanish coach.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was devastated by the result, but proud of his side having finished their European tour unbeaten, apart from a penalty shootout loss in the final.
“It’s heartbreaking. It’s a shock to lose on penalties in the Champions League final,” he said. “But we try to take many perspectives on how far we have come as a group.
“It’s been a great season. Considering everything that’s happened so far, the game went to penalties. It’s a lottery.”
Eleven days after celebrating their first Premier League title in 22 years, Arsenal looked poised for their first win on Europe’s biggest stage after Kai Havertz’s sixth-minute opener and PSG’s vaunted attack contained within the first hour.
However, the final in the Hungarian capital was chaotic, with PSG’s Ousmane Dembele leveling the score with a penalty in the 65th minute, before the pace became frantic and exhausting, sending the match to penalties.
Under Enrique, PSG have won six penalty shootouts so far, with the 56-year-old winning 12 of the 13 one-off club finals as manager.
Having defeated Chelsea and Liverpool to push past their Premier League opponents to reach the final, PSG faced a tougher test from an Arsenal team who were playing in their second Champions League final since losing to Barcelona in 2006.
Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead when Marquinhos’ clearance hit Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard and bounced into Havertz’s path. Havertz ran into the box and fired a shot into the roof of the net.
He became the fourth player to score in two different European Cup finals or Champions League finals with two different clubs.
This was a nightmare scenario for PSG. They fell behind early against the best defense in the tournament.
Arsenal, living up to their reputation as being the best team without the ball, seemed perfectly happy with the script, doubling up on Khvitya Kvaratskhelia to thwart the usual danger posed by the Georgian wizard on the left.
PSG’s Fabian Ruiz was unable to find his usual rhythm in midfield, and despite monopolizing the ball for long periods, the French side struggled to create clear chances.
By half-time PSG had attacked 32 times, Arsenal three.
However, Arsenal pushed beyond their limits and Dembele leveled the score with his eighth goal of the competition, converting a penalty after Cristian Mosquera brought down Kvaratschelia inside the area.
The momentum has changed.
Mosquera and Martin Odegaard were replaced by Julian Timber and Victor Gökeres. Arsenal had a more attacking mindset but were exposed to PSG’s counter-attacks, and at the end of one of them Kvaratschelia powered into the box, but his left-footed shot hit the outside of David Raya’s post.
After controlling the tempo in the first half, Arsenal played into PSG’s hands as the pace picked up significantly, giving too much space to Kvaratschelia and Bradley Barcola, who replaced the Georgia winger with seven minutes remaining.
PSG almost brought the final to an abrupt end in the 89th minute when Vicinha’s shot skimmed the top of the goal. Barcola also sent what was supposed to be the final kick of the match over the bar after a counter-attack.
With both teams exhausted, extra-time was a cautious affair, and by the time referee Daniel Siebert blew the whistle, Arsenal had just one shot on target.
Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze missed a penalty and Nuno Mendes’ shot was saved by Raya. Gabriel needed to score to keep the Gunners’ hopes alive, but he fired with PSG in front of the end.
Lucas Berardo’s goal in the penalty shootout, coming on as a substitute in extra time, sealed the victory and the French team celebrated being European champions once again.
