Over 400 arrested across France as PSG Champions League celebrations erupt into violence and arson

Victory celebrations turn violent

Thousands of fans poured onto the Champs-Élysées and gathered near the Parc des Princes after Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties in Budapest, clinching their second consecutive Champions League title. The match had finished 1-1 after extra time. What began as festive gatherings quickly deteriorated as masked individuals clashed with riot police, hurling projectiles and setting vehicles ablaze.

There were celebrations peppered with some disorder, which lines up with the situation that we predicted and therefore anticipated. The disorder is completely unacceptable.

Arrests and injuries nationwide

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed 416 arrests across France, with 283 in the Paris metropolitan area alone. Seven police officers were wounded, one seriously. Authorities reported six vehicles and two commercial premises damaged, along with a bus stop. In the 10th arrondissement, a car fleeing after firing mortar-style fireworks at police plowed into a restaurant terrace, injuring two people — one gravely, though their life was not in danger.

A capital under siege

Around 20,000 supporters massed on the Champs-Élysées, where some set fires, vandalized shops, and launched fireworks horizontally at crowds. A group of about 150 fans attempted to storm the Parc des Princes stadium, while another tried to force entry into a police station in the upscale 8th arrondissement. The mayor of that district described the scenes as an "urban guerrilla war" and called for a ban on future gatherings on the famous avenue.

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

A massive security mobilization

Authorities had deployed 22,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide — 8,000 in Paris alone — anticipating trouble after last year's celebrations left two dead, nearly 200 injured, and 559 arrested. Despite the precautions, disturbances were reported in around 15 cities, including Grenoble where mortar fire was heard and sports shops had their windows smashed, and Angers where looting occurred.

Official response and planned parade

Despite the overnight chaos, Nuñez confirmed that the team's victory parade on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday afternoon would proceed as scheduled, with up to 100,000 people expected. President Emmanuel Macron will later host the players at the Élysée Palace. The former Polish prime minister Leszek Miller criticized Macron on social media, commenting on footage of the anarchy: "Mr. Macron is busy planning another war."

Echoes of last year

This year's toll, while severe, was lower than the 2025 post-victory riots that saw 201 injured and over 500 arrests. The semi-final win against Bayern Munich earlier this month had already resulted in 127 arrests in Paris and 23 injured officers, foreshadowing the scale of disorder that would accompany another title.