Jerseys, flares, strangers hugging on the streets. When your club wins the Champions League, the night tends to write itself.
But Paris on Saturday was a different kind of story.
Paris Saint-Germain retained the Champions League title on Saturday, beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties in Budapest, but the joy of victory gave way to destruction on the streets of France’s capital.
What began as the Eiffel Tower itself glowing in blue and red degenerated into a scene of riots, violence and burning cars. By morning, one person was dead, more than 780 people were under arrest, and over 264 cars had been reduced to ash.
Paris burns. pic.twitter.com/eETFmwWCgV
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) May 31, 2026
Around 20,000 supporters converged on the iconic Champs-Elysees shortly after the final whistle. Footage circulating online showed flares being lit, electric bikes set on fire in the road, and the glass front shops being smashed. French police said a bakery and a restaurant near PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium were damaged.
Gros affrontements en cours près du àParc des Princes.
Des policiers sont pris pour cible par de nombreux tirs de feux d’artifice et projectiles.#PSG #PSGARS #Arsenal #UCLfinal #Paris pic.twitter.com/tHHxQ5wkeh
— Luc Auffret (@LucAuffret) May 30, 2026
Some 4,000 to 5,000 people had gathered outside the stadium during the match, and officers were targeted with thrown projectiles, according to news agency AFP. A police spokesperson said roughly 150 fans attempted to force their way through one of the stadium gates before being pushed back.
French authorities were prepared, but it wasn’t enough. Some 22,000 police officers were deployed across the country, with 8,000 of them stationed in Paris alone. Tram lines were suspended, several metro stations were closed, and bus services were restricted in parts of the city in an effort to reduce disorder.
PSG supporters gather on the Champs-Elysees Avenue after the club won the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal FC played in Budapest, in Paris on May 30, 2026.
Photo Credit: AFP
Ahead of the match, many shops along the Champs-Elysees boarded up their windows in an attempt to prevent what had happened the previous year when PSG won the same trophy, and fans ransacked shops.
Problems in Paris pic.twitter.com/KOU8r5UF4S
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2026
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said seven officers had been wounded during the unrest and described the scenes as “absolutely unacceptable.” He had previously described the security arrangements as a “very robust, very solid system.”
Police used tear gas to disperse crowds in the city centre. Many flares and roughly 100 fireworks were seized during the night.
French Republican Security Corps (CRS – Compagnies Republicaines de Securite) Police officers detain a PSG supporter during celebrations following their team’s win in the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal FC played in Budapest, on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris on may 30, 2026.
Photo Credit: AFP
For Arsenal, the evening ended in bitter disappointment. The club had reached their first Champions League final in nearly two decades, only to be edged out in a penalty shootout.
Despite the chaos, PSG players are expected to take part in a victory parade on Sunday afternoon. The route is set to take in the Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower, and French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to host a reception for the squad.
Reacting to the unrest, far-right politician and three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said, “Only in France does a football club’s victory spark riots.” She added, “Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence”.
This is not an isolated incident. When PSG won the Champions League last year, celebrations also turned violent, with two fans losing their lives. Further back, in 2009, Barcelona’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United in the final was followed by clashes between supporters and Spanish riot police in the city.
