France detains 780 after PSG Champions League win sparks riots; one dead, 57 officers injured

Victory celebrations descend into violence

Paris Saint-Germain secured its second consecutive UEFA Champions League title on Saturday night, defeating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Budapest. The victory sparked mass celebrations across France, but the night quickly turned chaotic as clashes erupted between fans and police. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the violence as "absolutely unacceptable," with rioters setting fires, vandalizing shops, and launching fireworks at officers.

We are a great country for maintaining public order. We allow freedom of assembly, but not excesses.

Scale of the unrest and casualties

Nuñez announced that 780 people were detained nationwide — a 32% increase from the 592 arrests during PSG's 2025 title celebrations. Of those, 457 were placed in police custody. Fifty-seven officers were injured, though none sustained life-threatening wounds. Among the public, 219 people were injured, eight of them seriously. One person died after a motorcycle accident on Paris's ring road, which rioters had attempted to block. A stabbing victim in Paris was reported to be fighting for their life.

Paris bears the brunt

An estimated 20,000 fans gathered on the Champs-Élysées, where police struggled to contain the crowd. Smaller groups set cars and a truck ablaze, looted shops, and launched pyrotechnic devices. One group attempted to storm a police station in the 8th Arrondissement, while around 150 people tried to invade the Parc des Princes stadium. The Paris prosecutor's office reported 277 arrests in the capital — 195 adults and 82 minors — on charges including assaulting officers, theft, vandalism, and illegal weapons possession.

The state must recognize that it is not capable of controlling these crowds and ban these gatherings before there are deaths in our streets.

A nationwide security challenge

Incidents were reported in approximately 15 cities, with the interior minister later confirming acts of violence and looting in 71 municipalities. Cities including Reims, Toulouse, and Grenoble saw disturbances and arrests. Authorities had deployed 22,000 police and gendarmes nationwide ahead of the final, with 8,000 concentrated in Paris and its suburbs. For Sunday's planned victory parade at the Champ de Mars, 6,000 officers were mobilized.

Planned celebrations proceed

Despite the overnight chaos, officials confirmed that Sunday's celebrations would go ahead as scheduled. Nearly 100,000 people were expected at the Champ de Mars near the Eiffel Tower for the team's return. PSG players were set to be received by President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace later in the evening. Nuñez rejected a proposal by the mayor of the 8th Arrondissement to close the Champs-Élysées, calling it a "false good idea" that would require nearly half the available security forces.

A historic football achievement

PSG became only the second club, after Real Madrid, to win the Champions League two years running in the competition's modern era. The final in Budapest was a tightly contested affair, with Arsenal forcing extra time before the Parisians prevailed on penalties. The victory cements PSG's status at the pinnacle of European football, but the violent aftermath has once again raised urgent questions about public safety during mass celebrations in France.