PSG's Second Consecutive Champions League Win Marred by Violence... 780 Arrested as Last Year’s Nightmare Repeats

Shops Vandalized, Vehicles Set on Fire, and Attempted Police Station Attacks
Over 500 Arrested During Last Year’s First Title Win

On the night Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) reclaimed the UEFA Champions League title, the city of Paris was engulfed in both celebration and chaos. On May 31, PSG faced Arsenal at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, in the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League final. After drawing 1-1 in extra time, PSG triumphed 4-3 in the penalty shootout, securing their second consecutive tournament victory. However, the joy of victory was overshadowed by violent incidents throughout the night.

The events were concentrated around the Champs-Élysées and the PSG home stadium, Parc des Princes. Paris police reported that about 20,000 people gathered in the Champs-Élysées area, with some setting off fireworks and flares, and setting fire to trash cans and vehicles. There was also a group attempting to enter the 8th arrondissement police station, but they were dispersed by the police. Reuters Yonhap News Agency

According to Yonhap News, citing international outlets such as AP and The Guardian, French authorities reported that immediately after the match, incidents of vehicle arson, property damage, and clashes with police broke out in Paris and other major French cities. The French Ministry of the Interior initially counted 416 arrests nationwide, but subsequent reports raised the number to 780. Local media outlet Le Parisien reported that 457 of those arrested were formally detained, while 57 police and gendarmerie officers and 219 civilians were injured.

The unrest was concentrated around the Champs-Élysées, Paris’s busiest commercial district, and the area near PSG’s home stadium, Parc des Princes. Paris police stated that about 20,000 people gathered around the Champs-Élysées, with some setting off fireworks and flares and setting fire to trash bins and vehicles. Additionally, a group attempted to enter the 8th arrondissement police station but was dispersed by the police. On the Paris ring road, crowds temporarily blocked traffic, prompting a police crackdown, and barricade removals and tear gas deployments continued around Parc des Princes.

There were also casualties. According to Le Parisien, a man was killed after crashing his motorcycle into a concrete barrier near Porte Maillot on the Paris ring road. On Magenta Boulevard in northern Paris, a vehicle crashed into a restaurant terrace, injuring two people, one of whom was reported to be in serious condition. The Ministry of the Interior stated that unrest was confirmed in 71 local governments across the country, including Grenoble, Strasbourg, and Saint-Étienne, and that looting and damage to public buildings occurred in about 15 cities.

The French government deployed a police and gendarmerie force of 22,000 nationwide ahead of this year's final, but was unable to prevent repeated large-scale football festival violence. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.

This incident recalled the violence that erupted after PSG’s first-ever Champions League victory last year. At that time, more than 500 people were arrested across France, two people were killed, and more than 190 were injured. According to AP, 201 people were injured in Paris alone and more than 500 were arrested nationwide during PSG’s first Champions League win last year.

The French government deployed 22,000 police and gendarmerie personnel nationwide ahead of this year’s final, but they could not prevent repeated large-scale football festival violence. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated, “Most of the celebrations were peaceful,” but strongly condemned the violent acts, saying they were “absolutely unacceptable.” President Emmanuel Macron also stressed a tough response, telling the team at the Élysée Palace, “This is neither football nor sport.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.