In a tense, drama-filled 2025 UEFA Champions League final held at Budapest’s Puskas Arena on Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) etched their name into European football history, edging out Arsenal 4-3 on penalties to claim consecutive continental titles after 120 minutes of play ended locked at 1-1. For the Gunners, the result marks a heartbreaking second Champions League final defeat, two decades after their first loss to Barcelona in 2006.
Arsenal, the 2024-25 Premier League champions who entered the final having lifted their first English top-flight title in 22 years, got off to a dream start within the opening six minutes. Kai Havertz, the German forward who already has a Champions League final winner’s medal from his 2021 triumph with Chelsea, found an unexpected opening when Marquinhos’ misdirected clearance bounced off Leandro Trossard straight into his path. Havertz burst into space behind PSG’s backline and fired a blistering, tight-angle shot into the top of the net to put Mikel Arteta’s side ahead early.
For the majority of regular time, Arsenal’s deep, disciplined defense held firm, having conceded just six goals across their entire run to the final. The Gunners stifled PSG’s high-powered attack, limiting the French side to only inaccurate long-range attempts and shutting down dynamic winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for most of the match, with center-back Gabriel making a crucial last-ditch tackle to deny the Georgian early on.
After halftime, PSG manager Luis Enrique adjusted his side’s tempo, urging faster ball movement to break down Arsenal’s compact rearguard. The equalizer came in the 67th minute, when a slick one-two between Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele drew a clumsy foul from Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera inside the penalty area. Dembele stepped up to the spot, sending Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya the wrong way with a low finish to level the score. The goal marked PSG’s 45th of the 2024-25 tournament, tying the all-time Champions League single-season scoring record.
PSG came close to snatching a late winner in regular time when Kvaratskhelia broke clear down the left flank, but his shot bounced off the goalpost. As the match wore on, Arsenal tired but held on to force extra time. The Gunners had a late penalty shout turned down when substitute Noni Madueke went down under contact from PSG’s Nuno Mendes, though replays showed minimal contact from the defender.
The final was ultimately decided by penalties, a test PSG entered with confidence: the French side had already won three trophies via shootouts this season, and carried a five-match winning streak in penalty deciders heading into the final. Arsenal faltered first, with Eberechi Eze sending his opening spot-kick wide of the post, but Raya gave the Gunners new life by saving Mendes’ attempt. Declan Rice converted to level the score at 2-2, and after Lucas Beraldo put PSG ahead 4-3, it fell to Gabriel to keep Arsenal’s hopes alive. The Arsenal defender lashed his penalty high over the crossbar, handing PSG the trophy.
The victory makes PSG only the second club in the Champions League era to win back-to-back titles, joining the iconic all-dominant Real Madrid sides that achieved the feat multiple times. It also marks the third Champions League title for manager Luis Enrique, who won his first with Barcelona back in 2015, making him only one of five head coaches in history to lift the trophy three times. The result comes one year after PSG’s first ever Champions League title, which ended a 55-year wait for the club and 14 years of investment under Qatari ownership. Now, with a second consecutive crown, PSG appear poised to begin an era of sustained European dominance.
“We are so, so proud, so happy, so grateful,” PSG winger Desire Doue told reporters post-match. “As a team, as a family, I think we deserve that… look at the fans, we are so happy.” Midfielder Fabian Ruiz added: “It was Real Madrid and now it’s us too. They defended all through the game and football is fair… today the right team won.”
For Arsenal, the bitter defeat comes just days after they secured their first Premier League title in 22 years, a milestone that was supposed to cap a dream season for Arteta’s young side. The club still plans to hold a victory parade in London on Sunday to celebrate the league title, but the event will be overshadowed by the heartbreak of a penalty defeat that fell just short of a historic double.
“It’s gutting, it’s devastating to lose the Champions League final on penalties,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said after the final. “Giving it absolutely everything up until this point, we took the game to penalties and it’s a lottery.”