Paris retain Champions League: Holders edge Arsenal on penalties

Paris retained their European title on penalties after a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.

Match in brief: Paris hold nerve to retain crown

The Gunners, fresh from winning their first English Premier League title for 22 years, wasted no time in taking the lead. Leandro Trossard charged down a clearance and Kai Havertz, scorer of the only goal in the 2021 final for Chelsea against Manchester City, strode clear before hammering his finish high past Matvei Safonov from a tight angle.

The holders were unruffled and dominated the reminder of the first half but the Arsenal defence, superbly marshalled by Gabriel and William Saliba, allowed no clear-cut chances and Paris' frustrations were highlighted by Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué firing over with rare strikes from outside the area. Mikel Arteta's side could even had doubled their advantage but for a last-ditch block from Marquinhos to deny Havertz a second goal.

Kai Havertz is congratulated after scoring the opener for ArsenalGetty Images

Arsenal had only conceded six goals heading into the decider and knew a record-equalling tenth clean sheet of this campaign would bring them a first title, but Cristhian Mosquera felled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the area after a neat exchange of passes and Dembélé sent David Raya the wrong way from the penalty spot to restore parity.

Luis Enrique's side continued to probe patiently but it was a counterattack that provided their next moment of threat, Kvaratskhelia driving into the area and firing an effort that deflected against the upright. Vitinha and substitute Gonçalo Ramos found the roof and side of the net respectively with late chances but extra time could not be avoided.

A delighted Ousmane Dembélé after his equaliser for ParisUEFA via Getty Images

The pattern of the contest continued – swathes of Paris possession but little goalmouth action – and a first penalty shoot-out in the decider since 2016 was the outcome.

There, Eberechi Eze swept wide and Nuno Mendes immediately after saw his effort saved by David Raya before the last, and decisive moment, of the shoot-out, Gabriel firing over to ensure Paris became the first side to retain the trophy since Real Madrid in 2018.

Line-ups

Paris: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos (Zabarnyi 106), Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Fabián Ruiz (Zaïre-Emery 95), Vitinha (Lucas Beraldo 106), João Neves; Doué, Dembélé (Gonçalo Ramos 90+6), Kvaratskhelia (Barcola 83)

Arsenal: Raya; Mosquera (Timber 66), Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié; Rice, Lewis-Skelly (Zubimendi 91); Saka (Madueke 83), Ødegaard (Gyökeres 67), Trossard (Martinelli 83); Havertz (Eze 91)

Contrasting emotions for Matvei Safonov and Gabriel after the final penaltyGetty Images

PlayStation® Player of the Match: Vitinha (Paris)

"Vitinha was Paris' best player on the night. He took charge of the midfield, particularly in the second half, driving his team forward and setting the tempo. An excellent performance from the Portuguese midfielder."
UEFA Technical Observer Group

Alex Clementson, Paris reporter

After going down so early on, Paris had to muster the courage and fortitude that has begun to characterise this campaign. Luis Enrique's side stuck to their convictions, rooted in their mastery of the ball and their interpretation of time and space. They gained the foothold, but ultimately this Arsenal defensive unit proved too stoic a barrier to break down in normal or extra time. Shoot-outs are a lottery, they say, and in this case luck was on their side.

Joe Terry, Arsenal reporter

In the end, it was a clash of styles: Paris' attack versus Arsenal's defence and ultimately they were so finely balanced, that nothing could separate them. Not many teams can keep Paris to so few chances, especially as they had so much possession. All the qualities that Mikel Arteta has instilled and cultivated in this squad: fight, willpower, a sense of the collective. This is what has brought them this far. Everyone associated with Arsenal will take great pride from what they have seen tonight.

Reaction

Désiré Doué, Paris forward: "We are so, so proud tonight. So happy, so grateful, also because it was a tough game against a very good team. We have to congratulate them because they had a really good season. But now we just have to enjoy as a team, as a family, because we deserve it."

Gonçalo Ramos, Paris forward: "It was very difficult. We have a lot of personality and we showed we are ready for everything. I am a striker and I'm always ready to take a penalty, even if it's the first one. I wanted to be there in the big moments. Everybody believes in each other, every player can help. We are very confident. Now we'll have the best time."

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Paris forward: "It's amazing really. The emotions I cannot describe. I am really proud I'm part of this team. We had a difficult season but we were capable. Today we are back-to-back champions. In the penalties, you need luck but you also have to work on them and we did it. We deserved to win I think because we had many chances to score."

Luis Enrique, Paris coach: "We deserved it. Maybe today both teams deserved to win, but the way we played the whole season, we deserved to win the Champions League. We are very happy and trying to be there next year – why not? The match started in the best way for them. After that, they know how to defend. It was very tough. We are used to attacking in that way with a lot of players behind the ball but against them, they are strong physically, very tough."

Declan Rice, Arsenal midfielder: "It's devastating to lose the Champions League final on penalties. We tried to take a lot of perspective from how far we've come as a group – it's been an incredible season and this was our 63rd game tonight. We've given it absolutely everything up to this point and it's a lottery – you either win on penalties or you lose. Some of the best teams ever have lost on penalties."

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager: "It's very tough when you are so consistent in the competition all the way to the final, and at the end you lose the trophy on a penalty kick. It's difficult. I'm so proud of them. They're giving us so much joy. It's just a privilege to manage this group of players, this team. I think the way they carry this badge and how much they put into it. Paris are really difficult to play against. That's why they are champions two times in a row. They are a top, top team."

Key stats

• This was the 12th European Cup or Champions League final to go to penalties. Neither Arsenal nor Paris had previously been involved in one in the final.
• The last 11 Champions League finals had been won by the team scoring the first goal, since Real Madrid came from behind to beat Atlético de Madrid 4-1 in 2014.
• Paris equalled Barcelona's single season record (1999/2000) for goals scored in a campaign from the group stage/league phase with 45.
• Luis Enrique won his third Champions League final as a coach, having previously led Barcelona to the title in 2015 and Paris last season – only Carlo Ancelotti with five has more.
• Luis Enrique became the first Spanish coach to win back-to-back European Cup/Champions League titles since José Villalonga, who achieved the feat with Real Madrid in 1955/56 and 1956/57.
• Ousmane Dembélé has scored six goals in his last four Champions League appearances.
• Kai Havertz became the third player in the Champions League era to score in two finals for two different clubs (Chelsea and Arsenal) after Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United and Real Madrid) and Mario Mandžukić (Bayern and Juventus). Velibor Vasović (Partizan and Ajax) also managed the feat in European Cup finals.
  
  
  
• Havertz's sixth-minute goal was the fastest in a Champions League final since Mohamed Salah's second-minute goal for Liverpool against Tottenham in 2019.
  
  
  

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