Violence erupts in Paris as PSG’S Champions League triumph triggers hundreds of arrests
Hundreds of arrests have been made across France in the aftermath of Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League final victory over Arsenal on Saturday night.
The French Ministry of the Interior confirmed that 416 people were detained nationwide, including 283 within the Paris area alone.
Police mobilised 22,000 officers across France ahead of the final, with 8,000 deployed in the Paris metropolitan area to contain expected celebrations.
Despite the heavy security presence, parts of central Paris descended into chaos as crowds gathered along the Champs-Élysées near the Arc de Triomphe.
Nearly 20,000 supporters filled the avenue at one point, setting off flares, blaring car horns, and lighting fireworks in scenes of jubilation and disorder.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the disturbances had been “foreseen and anticipated” given the scale of the match and the emotions involved.
Seven police officers were injured during the night, one of them seriously, as clashes broke out between fans and security forces.
Smaller groups splintered off to vandalise shops, set cars alight, and ignite street fires in several districts of the capital.
In the affluent 8th Arrondissement, a group of supporters attempted to storm a police station before officers dispersed them.
By 10pm local time, 45 people had already been arrested as crowds also converged on other landmarks including the Eiffel Tower.
A major road circling Paris was briefly blockaded by celebrating fans before police cleared the route.
A bakery and a restaurant were damaged during the unrest, adding to the tally of destruction reported by authorities.
Near PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium in the 16th Arrondissement, officers contained around 1,000 people and dismantled makeshift barricades built from bicycles.
The violence echoed scenes from May 2025, when PSG’s first Champions League title sparked similar unrest that left 201 people injured and more than 500 arrested nationwide.
PSG had urged fans before the match to celebrate “with pride, responsibility and respect,” but the message did little to temper the most volatile elements in the crowd.
The club will hold an official celebration on Sunday at the Champ de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower, where players will parade the trophy before an expected crowd of 85,000 to 90,000 people.
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to receive the PSG squad at the Élysée Palace following the public ceremony.
Festivities will continue later at the Parc des Princes, where fans and players are due to reunite from 7.30pm local time to mark a second consecutive European crown.
