Paris Saint-Germain’s back-to-back UEFA Champions League victory over Arsenal ended in widespread chaos across France over the weekend, as violent clashes between celebrating fans and security forces left multiple people injured, caused extensive property damage, and resulted in more than 400 arrests nationwide. The unrest marked the second consecutive year that PSG’s European title win has devolved into large-scale public disorder, echoing the deadly violence that marred the club’s 2025 championship celebration.
The trouble began even before the final whistle of the penalty shootout that secured PSG’s win, when clashes broke out between fans and police at the club’s home stadium, Parc des Princes, where thousands of supporters had gathered to watch the match broadcast on giant outdoor screens. Moments after the final penalty was scored, crowds of jubilant but unruly fans flooded onto Paris’s iconic Champs-Élysées, where the celebration quickly spun out of control.
Video footage captured from central Paris shows revelers setting off flares and fireworks, igniting electric bicycles on public roadways, and smashing the glass storefront of a local business. According to official police accounts, the unrest left six vehicles, two commercial properties, and one bus shelter heavily damaged. Seven police officers were hurt in confrontations with crowds, prompting authorities to deploy thousands of additional law enforcement officers across the capital to restore order. Officers used tear gas to disperse unruly gatherings in central Paris, and the violence forced widespread disruptions to Paris’s public bus, train, and regional rail networks.
France’s interior ministry confirmed that 416 people were taken into custody in the early hours of Sunday, with 280 of those arrests occurring within Paris city limits. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez condemned the violence in a statement, calling the widespread unrest “absolutely unacceptable.”
The disorder has sparked sharp political criticism, with far-right French leader Marine Le Pen taking to social media platform X to denounce the ongoing pattern of post-football violence in the country. “Only in France does a football club’s victory spark riots,” Le Pen wrote. “Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence.”
The unrest comes exactly one year after PSG’s 2025 Champions League victory was overshadowed by deadly clashes that left two people dead, including a 17-year-old boy. Despite the overnight violence, PSG’s planned victory parade is still set to go forward on Sunday afternoon. The parade will travel through the Champs de Mars, located adjacent to the Eiffel Tower, and will conclude with an official reception hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.