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Rabat – Paris Saint-Germain retained the UEFA Champions League title after beating Arsenal on penalties in a dramatic final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on Saturday.
The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with PSG holding their nerve in the shootout to secure a second consecutive European crown under Luis Enrique.
Arsenal made a dream start when Kai Havertz opened the scoring in the sixth minute, giving Mikel Arteta’s side early control of the final.
The German forward reacted sharply inside the box and finished from a difficult angle, putting the Premier League champions ahead before PSG had settled into the game.
The early goal forced PSG to take more risks, but Arsenal remained compact for much of the first half.
The English side defended deep, limited spaces between the lines, and tried to break forward through Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard.
PSG gradually grew into the contest after the break, pushing Arsenal back and increasing the pressure around David Raya’s goal.
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Their equalizer came in the second half when Ousmane Dembélé converted from the penalty spot after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was brought down in the area.
The goal shifted the momentum toward the French champions, who continued to dominate possession and create chances.
Arsenal, however, stayed organized and survived several dangerous moments as the match moved into extra time.
Neither side could find a winner in the additional 30 minutes, sending the final to penalties for the first time since 2016.
PSG showed greater composure from the spot, completing another historic night for the Parisian club. The win confirms their status as the dominant force in European football after winning their first Champions League title last season with a record 5-0 win over Inter Milan.
For Arsenal, the defeat will be painful. Arteta’s team had already ended the club’s long wait for a Premier League title and came within one step of completing a remarkable double. Instead, their search for a first Champions League trophy continues.
PSG’s triumph also strengthens Luis Enrique’s legacy in Paris. After guiding the club to its long-awaited European breakthrough in 2025, the Spanish coach has now delivered back-to-back Champions League titles, turning PSG from perennial contenders into proven European champions.
The win also carried major historic weight for Achraf Hakimi, who has now lifted the Champions League three times in his career.
The Moroccan defender first won the competition with Real Madrid in the 2017-18 season, before adding two more European crowns with Paris Saint-Germain in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
With that achievement, Hakimi moves level with Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o, who won the tournament three times as a key player with Barcelona in 2006 and 2009, and Inter Milan in 2010.
