Paris Saint-Germain secured their second consecutive Champions League title on Saturday, defeating Arsenal 5-4 in a penalty shootout following a tense 90 minutes in Budapest.

Paris Saint-Germain players lift the Champions League trophy for the second straight year.

The French giants, who had already claimed the title in Munich a year earlier, faced an early setback when Arsenal struck just five minutes into the match. Despite trailing at halftime, PSG fought back with a crucial equalizer from Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé in the 64th minute.

The deadlock persisted through extra time, leaving both teams scoreless after 120 minutes. The decisive moment arrived in the penalty shootout, where PSG’s composure under pressure secured their historic back-to-back triumph.

Entering football folklore

By achieving this feat, Paris Saint-Germain joins an exclusive club—only Real Madrid, coached by Zinedine Zidane, had previously won the competition in consecutive years in the modern era (2016-2018). This victory cements PSG’s place in Champions League history.

Focus shifts to World Cup preparations

Seven French players involved in this 71st Champions League final—Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), and William Saliba (Arsenal)—will now join the French national team at Clairefontaine. Their first test comes this Thursday, June 4, at Nantes’ Stade de la Beaujoire, where France will face Côte d’Ivoire in a high-stakes friendly.