For the first time in eight years, both finalists in the UEFA Champions League scored in the championship decider, breaking a remarkable streak of barren finals.
This historic moment occurred during the 2026 final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, which ended 1-1 after regulation time. The breakthrough came in the 65th minute when Ousmane Dembélé converted a penalty, equalizing the score after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had set up the opportunity.
a rare feat in european club football
The last occasion when both teams scored in a Champions League final was in 2018, when Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 3-1. Before that, a similar pattern had not been witnessed since the mid-1990s, with eight consecutive finals seeing at least one team failing to find the net.
the seven goalless finals in review
- 2019: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
- 2020: Bayern Munich 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain
- 2021: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester City
- 2022: Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool
- 2023: Manchester City 1-0 Inter Milan
- 2024: Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund
- 2025: Paris Saint-Germain 5-0 Inter Milan
This pattern highlights the defensive solidity and tactical discipline often seen in high-stakes European finals, though the 2026 encounter proved a refreshing exception.
what this means for the champions league
The resurgence of attacking football in finals could signal a shift in the competition’s dynamics, where attacking prowess and goal-scoring flair are once again rewarded. This development may encourage teams to prioritize offensive strategies, knowing that defensive rigidity alone might no longer suffice.