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Published : 31 May 2026, 06:09 PM
Paris St Germain equalled the Champions League record for goals scored in one season in the competition as they retained the trophy by edging out Arsenal in a penalty shootout but their triumph was as much about grit as their renowned flair.
A year after demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich with an attacking master class, this time they found another way to win despite bashing into a solid red wall in the Puskas Arena.
"One of the best things we have as a team is our resilience. We're able to overcome all the problems," PSG manager Luis Enrique, whose side dominated the final which ended 1-1 after extra time, told reporters.
"Today we showed that even if Arsenal are the best with a one-goal advantage that we could make it."
The PSG of old might have been spooked after falling behind to a Kai Havertz goal after six minutes on Saturday against an Arsenal team that had conceded only six goals and kept a record-equalling nine clean sheets on the way to the final.
Especially as the silky interplay and bewildering movement PSG have become known for under Luis Enrique was lacking throughout a frustrating first half in which they barely tested Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya despite overwhelming possession.
With the likes of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue shackled by an oppressive Arsenal side who were content to smother the game, things looked ominous for PSG.
They showed patience though, and refused to panic.
PSG ended the game with 837 completed passes to Arsenal's 199 and more than 70 percent possession.
Yet until Kvaratskhelia burst into the box midway through the second half and drew a foul from Cristhian Mosquera to earn a penalty, which Ousmane Dembele converted, it looked as though the puzzle set by Mikel Arteta's side would go unsolved.
That was PSG's 45th goal in this season's competition, equalling the record of Barcelona in 1999-2000, but this was not a night for expansive flair.
The Parisians probed for openings in a scrappy period of extra time without any joy but prevailed 4-3 in the penalty shootout after Arsenal defender Gabriel blazed his kick over.
More Satisfying Triumph
While it lacked the swagger of last year's thrashing of Inter, PSG's triumph against a clinical Arsenal side on a high after claiming their first English title for 22 years was perhaps even more satisfying.
It was further proof that Luis Enrique has built a team with resilience at its core and one that finds ways to win as Real Madrid have so often done in Europe's elite club competition.
PSG have become only the second club, after Real, to retain the European Cup in the Champions League era and, worrying for their rivals, this young squad will get even better.
"We have to stay humble," winger Desire Doue said "It's not over yet -- the second (star on the jersey) is here -- so we're going to keep working hard and go for the third one."
His words would have been music to the ears of Luis Enrique who has instilled a tenacious work ethic into a gifted team that has dispensed with the big egos who always used to fall short.
"(The feeling) is stronger than last year because we knew before the match how difficult it would be to play against Arsenal," the Spaniard, who has now won the trophy three times as a coach having also taken Barcelona to the title in 2015. "The final was a real battle."
For Arsenal, their dream of lifting the European Cup proved a step too far after a marathon 63-game season in which they won the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.
They will still celebrate with a parade around the streets of North London on Sunday and, once the dust has settled and the smoke has cleared, they will be back next season as the team most likely to knock PSG off their perch.
