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PSG edge Arsenal
Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Champions League final at Puskas Arena in Budapest, securing back-to-back European titles.
“Who: Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal What: UEFA Champions League final Where: Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary When: Saturday, May 30, at 6pm (16:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 12:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream”
Arsenal took the lead when Kai Havertz scored in the sixth minute, and PSG responded when Ousmane Dembélé converted a penalty to level the match and send it to extra time.
The shootout decided the final after Gabriel Magalhaes fired the last of Arsenal’s penalties over the bar, handing PSG the trophy.
PSG captain Marquinhos said, "From the very first day of this season the coach said it’s hard to win, and winning twice is even more difficult," as the French champions celebrated their second consecutive title.
Henry, Keown react
Thierry Henry defended Arsenal after the defeat, saying it was "a great season" for the club following the penalty shootout.
Henry also offered support to Gabriel, who missed the decisive spot-kick, telling CBS Sports, "When you go and take a penalty I will always have respect for you," and adding that Gabriel "didn't hide."
Martin Keown, Henry’s former teammate at Arsenal, said, "He's my favourite Arsenal player," and argued that Gabriel "had the bottle to go up there and take it."
Keown said the team had learned quickly under Mikel Arteta, pointing to how "[Arteta] talks about the hurt and pain and that gives the team oxygen" as Arsenal looked ahead to next season.
Next steps and stakes
With the final decided by penalties, Arsenal remained without a first European Cup as they turned attention back to their clubs after the match ended 1-1 in regulation and extra time.
“Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured more than €100 million in UEFA Champions League revenue after defeating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Saturday’s final in Budapest”
Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports in the UK, "It is very tough to accept. When you are so consistent in the competition all the way to the final and in the end you lose the trophy on penalty kicks."
PSG coach Luis Enrique said the victory was "deserved over the course of the whole season, even if the final was very closely contested," and he pointed to transfer activity as the next step for the squad.
The New York Times live updates also noted that there were "just 12 — yes, twelve — days until the 2026 World Cup kicks off in Mexico City," with many players set to join national teams before returning to club competition.
