Tonight in Budapest, football fans witnessed one of the most exciting Champions League finals in recent years as PSG and Arsenal battled for Europe's biggest club trophy. In the end, PSG won the title after beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.
The match started with an early surprise when Arsenal took the lead in the 6th minute. Leandro Trossard delivered a beautiful pass to Kai Havertz, who calmly finished into the net. The early goal gave Arsenal confidence and changed the rhythm of the game.
After conceding, PSG began to dominate possession. Vitinha, João Neves, and Fabian Ruiz controlled the midfield, while Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia constantly tested Arsenal's defense. However, goalkeeper David Raya and Arsenal's defenders stood strong and kept PSG from scoring before halftime.
In the first half, Arsenal looked comfortable despite PSG having more of the ball. Bukayo Saka and Trossard remained dangerous on counterattacks and created problems for the PSG defense.
PSG came back stronger in the second half. Their continuous pressure finally paid off in the 65th minute when they won a penalty. Ousmane Dembélé confidently converted the spot-kick to make it 1-1 and bring PSG back into the game.
The remaining minutes of normal time were tense, with both teams creating chances but failing to find a winning goal. As a result, the match went into extra time.
Extra time was a battle of endurance and determination. Both managers, Mikel Arteta and Luis Enrique, made several substitutions to try to change the game. Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze, and Bradley Barcola were among the players introduced, but neither side could break the deadlock.
The match was eventually decided by penalties. PSG showed great composure as Gonçalo Ramos, Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi, and Lucas Beraldo all scored their penalties. For Arsenal, Viktor Gyökeres, Declan Rice, and Gabriel Martinelli found the net, but Eberechi Eze missed his penalty and Gabriel Magalhães failed to convert the final kick.
That gave PSG a 4-3 victory in the penalty shootout and another Champions League trophy.
This triumph confirms PSG's place among Europe's elite clubs. Luis Enrique once again proved his quality as a manager, while Dembélé was one of the key heroes of the night after scoring the equalizing goal.
Although Arsenal suffered a painful defeat, they can still be proud of an excellent season. Arteta has built a strong team with a bright future, and Arsenal supporters will believe bigger successes are still to come.
Final Result
PSG 1-1 Arsenal (After Extra Time)
Goals
Kai Havertz (6') – Arsenal
Ousmane Dembélé (65' Penalty) – PSG
Penalty Shootout
PSG 4-3 Arsenal
Champions League 2026 Winners: PSG
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