Marquinhos receives inaugural UEFA Respect: Beyond the Game Award

UEFA today presented the inaugural Respect: Beyond the Game Award to Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos, recognising an act of sportsmanship that placed humanity above competition at one of the season’s most emotionally charged moments.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2026 UEFA Champions League final, Marquinhos crossed the rivalry lines to console Gabriel Magalhães, his fellow Brazilian and his opponent on the night. Rather than joining the celebrations, the PSG captain went to offer support to a fellow professional whose missed penalty in the shoot-out had decided the match of the season.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said: "Marquinhos had just won the biggest trophy in European club football. And his first instinct was not to celebrate but to cross the pitch, to hug and counsel the opponent at the hardest moment of his career. Football is full of moments that feel larger than life. That one felt also very human - and it is the one that will last."

The Respect: Beyond the Game Award is a new annual honour for acts that embody empathy, dignity, solidarity and respect in European football.

Created under the UEFA Respect platform, which has promoted positive values across European football over two decades, it is open to players, coaches, technical staff, match officials and supporters across all UEFA competitions. It will become a permanent fixture of UEFA’s calendar.