France arrests 780 after deadly riots follow PSG Champions League victory

Monday 01 June 2026 - 09:44

By: Dakir Madiha

France arrests 780 after deadly riots follow PSG Champions League victory

Paris Saint-Germain's second consecutive Champions League title, secured on penalties against Arsenal in Budapest on Saturday, triggered one of the most serious nights of football-related violence France has witnessed, leaving 780 people detained, one person dead, and dozens of cities across the country scarred by widespread disorder.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told reporters on Sunday that 219 people had been injured in clashes between supporters and security forces across France, eight of them critically. Fifty-seven police officers were also hurt as celebrations collapsed into generalized unrest across roughly fifteen cities nationwide. Of the 780 people detained, 480 arrests took place in the Paris region alone. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that 277 people had been formally placed in custody, among them 82 minors, facing charges ranging from assaulting officers to theft, vandalism, and carrying prohibited weapons. A group of supporters attempted to storm a police station in the upscale 8th arrondissement before being dispersed by officers.

Supporters had flooded the Champs-Élysées, where approximately 20,000 people had gathered to watch the match on outdoor screens, setting off fireworks and flares. Violence erupted within the opening minutes of the game when Arsenal took the lead through Kai Havertz in the sixth minute, prompting tear gas deployments and baton charges against crowds hurling chairs and bottles at officers. Cars were set alight and businesses vandalized as 22,000 police officers struggled to contain the unrest across the capital and beyond. A man was found dead following an incident on the Paris ring road, which rioters had attempted to block during the night.

Violence had preceded the final in Hungary as well. Around sixty Arsenal and PSG supporters clashed on Kiraly Street in the 7th district of Budapest shortly after midnight on Saturday, exchanging blows while flares were thrown into the crowd. Hungarian police opened an investigation for collective violence and said they were reviewing surveillance footage to identify those responsible. A British national and two Portuguese citizens were arrested at the fan zone and charged with public order offenses.

On the pitch in Budapest, PSG defeated Arsenal 4-3 on penalties at the Puskás Arena after the match ended 1-1 following extra time. A second-half penalty from Ousmane Dembélé cancelled out Havertz's opener, before Gabriel Magalhães sent the decisive fifth penalty over the crossbar to hand PSG the title. The victory made the Parisian club the first to win back-to-back European titles since Real Madrid in 2018. Speaking on Sunday, Nuñez described the situation as having been largely brought under control while condemning the violence as absolutely unacceptable. The previous year's PSG title had itself produced 201 injuries and more than 500 arrests across France, figures that Saturday night's disorder surpassed on both counts.