Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain retained their UEFA Champions League crown after defeating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties following a dramatic 1-1 draw in the final at Budapest’s Puskás Arena on Saturday, May 30.
Arsenal made a dream start to the contest, taking the lead in the sixth minute when Kai Havertz broke through the PSG defence and beat goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.
Despite dominating possession for much of the match, PSG found it difficult to break down Arsenal’s resilient defence. The French side eventually drew level in the 65th minute when Ousmane Dembélé converted from the penalty spot, sending the final into extra time—the first Champions League final to require additional time in a decade.
Both sides had opportunities to seize control. Eberechi Eze missed an earlier penalty for Arsenal, while goalkeeper David Raya kept the Gunners in the contest by saving Nuno Mendes’ spot kick during the shootout.
The decisive moment came when Lucas Beraldo calmly converted PSG’s final penalty. Arsenal defender Gabriel then stepped up needing to score to keep his side alive, but his effort sailed over the crossbar, triggering wild celebrations among PSG players and supporters.
“It’s incredible, back-to-back,” PSG captain Marquinhos said after the victory. “From the first day of the season, the coach told us that winning is difficult, but winning twice in a row is even harder. We had to stay focused and get back to work. That was our mentality.”
With the triumph, PSG became only the second club to successfully defend the Champions League title since the competition was rebranded in 1992, joining Real Madrid, who achieved the feat by winning three consecutive titles between 2016 and 2018.
