PSG retains Champions League title.. 45 goals and historical records from the Budapest final

PSG 2026 Champions: Enrique joins the elite and Arsenal’s European disappointment continues

On a historic night for Parisian fans at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Paris Saint-Germain successfully defended their UEFA Champions League title for the second consecutive year, defeating English side Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after the final match ended 1-1 following regular and extra time.

With this achievement, the Parisian team etched their name in the tournament’s history books, becoming the first French club and only the second in the Champions League era (since 1992) to retain the trophy, following Real Madrid, who won three consecutive titles between 2016 and 2018.

Penalty shootout and shattered records

The two teams went to a penalty shootout to decide the title, the 12th time in the history of European Cup/UCL finals since 1984. Regular time ended in a draw after German Kai Havertz opened the scoring early for the Gunners in the 6th minute, before Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé equalized for PSG from a penalty spot in the 65th minute.

The shootout saw goalkeeper David Raya excel by saving Nuno Mendes’ spot-kick, while Arsenal missed two crucial penalties through Iberechie Eze and Gabriel, allowing PSG to clinch a 4-3 victory.

During the match, PSG set a tournament record, scoring 45 goals throughout the 2025-2026 season, equaling the record set by Barcelona under Louis van Gaal in 1999-2000.

Furthermore, PSG’s possession rate in the final reached 75.3%, the highest ever recorded in a Champions League final match.

Luis Enrique joins the elite and continues to build glory

Under the guidance of Spanish coach Luis Enrique, PSG achieved the rare feat of winning the domestic double and the continental title for the second consecutive season, becoming the first team in the Champions League era to win their domestic league title and the UCL trophy in two straight seasons.

This title is Enrique’s third in the Champions League as a coach, after his triumphs with Barcelona in 2015 and PSG in 2025 and 2026. He thus joins the elite group consisting of Pep Guardiola, Zinedine Zidane, and Bob Paisley as the most decorated coaches in the tournament’s history, behind Italian Carlo Ancelotti, who has won the title five times.

Notably, Enrique is the first manager to win back-to-back Champions League titles since the legendary Zinedine Zidane, who won three consecutive titles with Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018.

🚨🚨| Luis Enrique creates history after winning his 3rd Champions League title.

🏆 2015: FC Barcelona
🏆 2025: Paris Saint-Germain
🏆 2026: Paris Saint-Germain pic.twitter.com/6Nt8GvEAYk

— Goals Side (@goalsside) May 30, 2026

European heartbreak for Arsenal

In contrast, Arsenal suffered a fate similar to the 2006 final, losing the Champions League final for the fifth time in their history. They remain the club to have played the most matches (266) in the competition without ever winning the elusive title.

This was the first time an English team lost the Champions League final on penalties to a European opponent, after the London club’s dream was stirred by Havertz’s early goal.

Kai Havertz rewrites history

German international Kai Havertz, who scored the opening goal for Arsenal, became only the fourth player in history to score in a Champions League final for two different clubs, following Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Mandžukić. Havertz had previously scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 2021 final and repeated the feat with Arsenal in 2026.

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