PSG brings Champions League trophy home to Paris for second straight year, greeted by 90,000 fans at Champ-de-Mars

Paris Saint-Germain celebrated its second consecutive UEFA Champions League title with a day of festivities across the French capital on Sunday, 31 May 2026. The club defeated Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Budapest the previous night, securing a historic "back-to-back" European crown.

Return from Budapest

The victorious squad flew back to Paris from the Hungarian capital, landing at Roissy airport in the mid-afternoon with over an hour's delay. Captain Marquinhos was seen on the plane carefully securing the trophy, joking with the flight crew. Upon arrival, the delegation boarded two club-colored buses and headed into Paris via the A1 motorway and the ring road, where traffic had been stopped. An escort of nearly a thousand motorcycles followed the cortege, with fans cheering from bridges and apartment windows along the route.

Champ-de-Mars celebration

The centerpiece of the day was a choreographed parade on the Champ-de-Mars, where a 600-meter blue, red, and white carpet stretched from the École Militaire toward the Eiffel Tower. Organizers estimated between 85,000 and 90,000 supporters gathered in the gardens, though aerial footage suggested a slightly lower figure. The ceremony, originally scheduled for 4 p.m., began around 6 p.m. due to the flight delay. Rapper Vegedream performed his hit "Ramenez la coupe à la maison" while the crowd waited.

Thank you all for your support. Once is good, but twice is better for the back-to-back. We'll be back next year for the third!

Each player received an ovation as they walked the carpet. Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé danced for the crowd, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia twirled the trophy in the air. Defender Willian Pacho delighted fans by touching hands along the barriers. The event concluded with a fireworks display and Daft Punk's "One More Time" playing over the speakers.

Presidential reception and Parc des Princes

After the Champ-de-Mars event, the team was received by President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace. Macron praised the squad, calling them "the greatest team in Europe" after their back-to-back triumph. The celebrations then moved to the Parc des Princes stadium, where 47,500 fans gave coach Luis Enrique a hero's welcome. The Spanish manager, whose name was chanted throughout the stadium, told supporters: "We still want to try to win." President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and captain Marquinhos jointly carried the trophy onto the pitch amid flares, songs, and a sea of red and blue.

Please, celebrate calmly today. We must protect our city.

Overnight unrest

The festivities followed a night of celebrations marred by violence across France. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported 780 arrests nationwide, with 57 security forces injured and 219 participants hurt, eight seriously. Incidents included clashes with police, fireworks aimed at officers, vandalism, and a fatal accident in which a young man in his twenties died after crashing his motorbike into concrete blocks on a Paris ring road exit ramp. Nearly 6,000 police and gendarmes were deployed for Sunday's events to prevent further disorder.

Fan devotion

Supporters traveled from across France to witness the historic moment. One family drove 750 kilometers from the Landes region through the night without sleeping. Fans began queuing outside the Champ-de-Mars as early as 11:40 a.m. for a 2 p.m. opening. On the Champs-Élysées, supporters lined up from 10 a.m. to buy the new two-star PSG jersey, priced at €130. "Paris was magical, now Paris is mythical!" one fan declared, capturing the mood of a city celebrating its club's place among Europe's elite.