Over 400 Arrested Across France as PSG Champions League Celebrations Erupt into Violence
Celebrations for Paris Saint-Germain's second consecutive Champions League title turned violent on Saturday night, with over 400 arrests nationwide as fans clashed with police, set fires, and vandalized property in Paris and other cities.
A night of celebration turns chaotic
Thousands of Paris Saint-Germain fans poured into the streets of Paris on Saturday evening after their team defeated Arsenal in a penalty shootout in Budapest to win the Champions League for the second year in a row. Up to 20,000 supporters gathered on the Champs-Élysées alone, while others congregated at the Parc des Princes, where giant screens had been set up, and in neighborhoods like Barbès and Strasbourg-Saint-Denis. The initial jubilation, marked by honking cars and fireworks, soon gave way to widespread unrest.
Arrests and police response
By midnight, French authorities had made 336 arrests across the country, 235 of them in Paris, according to the Paris Police Prefecture. Earlier in the night, the national tally stood at 326. Some sources later reported the number had climbed to 416 arrests, with 283 in the capital. The Interior Ministry had mobilized 22,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide—8,000 in Paris and its suburbs—in a security operation comparable in scale to the 2024 Olympic Games. Authorities conducted over 2,200 preventive checks and confiscated 24 flares and around a hundred firecrackers or pyrotechnic mortars.
- Kickoff of Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal in Budapest.
- First clashes reported near Parc des Princes; initial arrests made.
- Match ends; PSG wins on penalties. Celebrations and disturbances begin immediately.
- Police report 131 arrests in Paris, one officer injured, and multiple acts of vandalism.
- Midnight tally reaches 336 arrests nationwide, 235 in Paris.
Violence and damage across the capital
One police officer was injured by a firework, a newsstand was set on fire, and several vehicles were damaged. Groups of individuals attempted to approach a police station in the 8th arrondissement before being dispersed. A brief incursion onto the ring road at Porte Maillot was cleared by security forces, and near the Parc des Princes, around a thousand people were contained after makeshift barricades were removed. Riot police used tear gas to disperse crowds at Porte de Saint-Cloud. Vandals targeted shops and street furniture, with a bus shelter destroyed near the Champs-Élysées and damage reported to a bakery and a restaurant.
Unrest spreads beyond Paris
The disturbances were not confined to the capital. Incidents were reported in Grenoble, where fireworks were launched and shop windows smashed, and in Toulouse. The violence echoed the chaos of the previous year's celebrations, when PSG's first Champions League title led to 563 arrests, 692 fires, two deaths, and 200 injuries. This year, authorities had taken extra precautions, closing metro stations, suspending tram services, and banning alcohol and pyrotechnics sales in sensitive areas.
Official reactions and upcoming celebrations
President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the team on social media, writing, "A new star shines over Paris! Congratulations to PSG, who make all of Europe dream. France is proud." He is scheduled to receive the players and coach Luis Enrique at the Élysée Palace on Sunday at 6:10 p.m. local time, followed by a public statement at 6:45 p.m. A large public celebration is planned at the Champ de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower, with up to 100,000 people expected, before an evening event at the Parc des Princes. From Budapest, PSG captain Marquinhos urged fans to celebrate "with moderation."
