PSG 1-1 Arsenal (PSG win on penalties)
Arsenal's superb season came to a devastating end, as PSG won on penalties after a dreary Champions League final in Budapest.
The Gunners were chasing their first European crown at the Parrott Puskas Arena, while PSG were looking to become just the second team to claim back-to-back wins in the Champions League era.
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It was Arsenal who struck first, with Kai Havertz finishing clinically after just five minutes to send the travelling fans into raptures.
Has to be said it was an absolutely cracking finish by Havertz 🔥pic.twitter.com/cObkItbvRo https://t.co/N4N61U5OYL
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) May 30, 2026
They held the lead for almost an hour before Cristhian Mosquera clattered into Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the box and Ousmane Dembelé converted from the spot. Already on a yellow, Mosquera was lucky not to see red.
GOAL - Dembele holds his nerve to level matters in Budapest. What will the Arsenal response be?
📱- https://t.co/eQOJk9Hsa3
📺- https://t.co/b2OI4OoWVJ pic.twitter.com/BsvYtIBcro
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 30, 2026
It was a game of cat-and-mouse from there, with the clock whittling down before a penalty shootout which had felt inevitable for the entirety of extra-time.
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Ebere Eze was the first man to blink, but his miss was instantly cancelled out by David Raya's save from Nuno Mendes.
Ultimately, it was Arsenal's talismanic centre-back Gabriel who had the decisive say.
Gabriel had been immense for the Gunners all season, but produced a penalty to rival Eze's as the worst in recent memory in a major final, as he blazed over the bar to hand the trophy to PSG.
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Gabriel blazes over as PSG defend their Champions League title with a 4-3 penalty shootout success over Arsenal
📱- https://t.co/OHIrRIFSe3
📷- https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/d3mapP6KYB
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 30, 2026
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It was a brutal way for Arsenal to lose out on their first European crown, and Gabriel was devastated as the Parisians raced to celebrate in front of their fans.
One of his Brazil teammates, Marquinhos, produced an amazing moment of sportsmanship.
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PSG win Champions League
PSG captain Marquinhos did not join his teammates in their initial celebrations, instead racing to his compatriot Gabriel to console him.
You can see the centre-back approach Gabriel in the background of the shot at 0:35 in the above video, before the shot cuts to him sharing some words of consolation with the Arsenal star.
It was an admirable moment of sportsmanship, and earned Marquinhos widespread praise on social media.
Marquinhos with Gabriel after his decisive penalty miss 🫂🇧🇷💔 pic.twitter.com/Q02g8OdiIt
— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) May 30, 2026
That’s what sportsmanship looks like: Marquinhos going straight to Gabriel to console him, never mind the celebrations. Touch of class.
— Dominic King (@DKingTelegraph) May 30, 2026
Marquinhos was there to console Gabriel after his decisive penalty miss 🫂💔 pic.twitter.com/b8Rx9FNm34
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) May 30, 2026
Marquinhos went immediately to console Gabriel after penalty miss. ❤️🩹🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/Z8jQB8i0va
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 30, 2026
Several Arsenal fan accounts were among those to celebrate Gabriel's sportsmanship.
Marquinhos consoling Gabriel. 💔 pic.twitter.com/WDm6QYB5tl
— AfcVIP⁴⁹ (@VipArsenal) May 30, 2026
📸| Marquinhos consoling Gabriel Magalhães after penalties 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/YTaYPbqWGu
— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) May 30, 2026
PSG player Marquinhos consoling Gabriel at Full Time. 💔 pic.twitter.com/jy9qFo6nTw
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) May 30, 2026
Saturday's Champions League final was not the most entertaining affair, but Arsenal have put in superb performances all season and stood on the cusp of becoming only the sixth English club side to win a league-European Cup double.
For that dream to have been dashed with such a miss was a brutal twist of fate, and PSG's Marquinhos showed a touch of class in how he approached Gabriel.
Minutes later, he would lift the Champions League trophy for a second year running. With victory over Arsenal, this PSG team have cemented their place as one of the great modern football teams.
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