PSG Defeats Arsenal to Win Back-to-Back Titles, Sparking Chaos on Streets

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) squeezed out a win against the Premier League's Arsenal in yesterday's UEFA Champions League final for the second year in a row, leading to chaos on Parisian streets.

PSG, France's most successful football club, has dominated French football for years, earning them a regular spot in the UEFA Champions League. However, the club has only won the championship once, with their first-ever win taking place last year after the club dominated Inter Milan, 5-0.

This year, the match was much closer. Kai Havertz of Arsenal, a club from the UK's Premier League, managed to score early on in the game, and the team quickly adopted a defensive strategy to attempt to keep PSG away from points. For a large portion of the game, Arsenal was able to secure their lead, but a penalty kick in the 65th minute halted their progress– Ousmane Dembélé was able to score for Paris, tying the game at 1-1.

When the game wound down to an end, the score remained tied, forcing the result to be decided by penalty kicks. After four kicks each, both teams had missed one, leaving the final kick as the match decider. PSG's Lucas Beraido succeeded in making the kick, placing immense pressure on Arsenal's final penalty kick. Gabriel Malgahães, a Brazilian player who many described as one of the stars of the match, came up to kick, taking a deep breath before the move.

Unfortunately for Arsenal, Malgahães' kick sailed over the crossbar and into the stands, awarding PSG with back-to-back titles in 2025 and 2026.

However, chaos ensued across France following the news. According to polls, around 22% of French soccer fans support PSG, and the club has over 35 million supporters worldwide. Upon their win, thousands of PSG fans surged into the streets, as expected– 22,000 policemen were deployed prior to the game across France, with officials anticipating massive parties in the streets, similar to last year.

However, violent riots quickly erupted in the streets, endangering the lives of fellow citizens and police officers. Fans threw projectiles at officials, cars, and buildings, damaging at least six vehicles and two businesses. Flares and fireworks could be seen flying above main roadways, which came to a halt as rioters flooded major intersections.

Authorities were forced to deploy tear gas on citizens and arrest hundreds of rioters– across France, at least 416 people were detained, 283 of which were arrested on the streets of Paris.

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