PSG defended their UEFA Champions League title with a 4-3 victory on penalties over Arsenal after a 1-1 draw at Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary.
Misses from Eberechi Eze and Gabriel cost Arsenal in the shootout whilst Nuno Mendes missed PSG’s third spot-kick, yet the reigning champions defended their title as Lucas Beraldo dispatched their winning penalty.
Kai Havertz fired Arsenal into an early lead before Ousmane Dembele equalised from the spot after Cristhian Mosquera controversially clipped Kvicha Kvaratskhelia just inside the box.
PSG consequently completed their title defence and will now face Europa League winners, Aston Villa in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup on 12 August.
Chasing a historic first domestic and European double in their history at kick-off in Budapest, Hungary, Arsenal mounted an early high press with tight marking of PSG high in the Ligue 1 champions’ own half.
Their early resiliently organised tight press soon paid off in the dying seconds of the fifth minute as Trossard deflected Marquinhos’ kick forward, which allowed Havertz to break forward into the sixth minute to smash his shot into the top-right corner to give Arsenal an early lead.
PSG proceeded to dominate possession but lacked any real sharp end product to properly test Arsenal’s organised defence as Fabian Ruiz found the side-netting from a 11th-minute corner, before he then fired wide across goal just two minutes later.
Ruiz again proved to be PSG’s only notable threat as he headed wide a 43rd-minute tame clearance from Piero Hincapie, after the latter had blocked Nuno Mendes’ short cross near the left post, as the reigning champions failed to trouble David Raya from close range before half time.
PSG continued to offer very little quality in the second half until Kvaratskhelia forced a 62nd-minute clip from Mosquera as he ran into the box to meet a return pass in an one-two move, which led referee – Daniel Siebert to award the French side a penalty.
Dembele stepped up and dispatched his 65th-minute penalty into the bottom left corner to restore parity as Raya dived incorrectly to his left side.
The Ballon d’Or holder almost completed PSG’s comeback seven minutes later but fired wide under tight marking from Gabriel, as the Gunners continued to defensively soak up the route-one traffic from PSG.
PSG nearly won the game in the 89th minute after Desire Doue teed Vitinha up but the midfielder blasted his shot over the bar into the pyrotechnics and flares of the PSG crowd behind the goal, before substitute – Bradley Barcola too blasted over on an injury-time counter-attack.
The first half of extra time proved to be largely quiet aside from Siebert’s bizarre decision to not award a 102nd-minute penalty to Arsenal, having witnessed substitute – Noni Madueke tugged to ground into the box with a front-of-shirt tug by Mendes.
Neither team eventually found a second goal to avoid a shootout, which saw Goncalo Ramos and Doue net PSG’s first two penalties either side of Viktor Gyokeres’ effort for Arsenal, but Eberechi Eze fired the Gunners’ second penalty wide of the left corner.
Mendes then saw PSG’s third penalty saved by Raya which allowed Declan Rice to restore parity at 2-2 after three penalties apiece, before Hakimi dispatched PSG’s fourth spot-kick and Gabriel Martinelli did likewise for Arsenal.
Lucas Beraldo netted PSG’s fifth penalty but Gabriel fired Arsenal’s final penalty over the bar which meant that PSG defended their title, and set up an UEFA Super Cup meeting against Aston Villa in Austria on 12 August.
Arsenal’s wait for a maiden Champions League title continues after having gone unbeaten throughout this edition of the competition until the shootout, but the heartbreak will serve as fuel to grow next season as many of their domestic rivals experience a season of managerial changes.
Teams
PSG: Matvei Safonov, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos (Zabarnyi 105′), Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Fabian Ruiz (Zaire-Emery 95′), Vitinha (Beraldo 105′), Joao Neves, Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele (Ramos 90+6′), Kvicha Kvaratskhelia (Barcola 83′)
Substitutes: Bradley Barcola, Renato Marin, Lucas Chevalier, Dro Fernandez, Lucas Hernandez, Lee Kang-In, Lucas Beraldo, Goncalo Ramos, Senny Mayulu, Ibrahim Mbaye, Ilia Zabarnyi, Warren Zaire-Emery
Arsenal: David Raya, Cristhian Mosquera (Timber 66′), William Saliba, Gabriel, Piero Hincapie, Martin Odegaard (Gyokeres 66′), Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly (Zubimendi 90′), Bukayo Saka (Madueke 83′), Kai Havertz (Eze 90′), Leandro Trossard (Martinelli 83′)
Substitutes: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Riccardo Calafiori, Max Dowman, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino, Christian Norgaard, Jurrien Timber, Martin Zubimendi, Gabriel Jesus
Referee – Daniel Siebert