PSG wins back-to-back Champions League titles after shootout victory against Arsenal

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. World PSG wins back-to-back Champions League titles after shootout victory against Arsenal May 30, 20265:11 PM ET By The Associated Press PSG's head coach Luis Enrique, top, celebrates with players after winning the Champions League final soccer match against Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, May 30, 2026. Denes Erdos/AP hide caption toggle caption Denes Erdos/AP BUDAPEST, Hungary — Winning the Champions League was so nice, Paris Saint-Germain had to do it twice. PSG became back-to-back European champion by beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties in a dramatic final in Budapest that ended 1-1 after extra time on Saturday.

"It's incredible," captain Marquinhos said. "From the very first day of this season, the coach said it's hard to win, and winning twice is even more difficult. So we all had to get back to work.

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That was the mentality. " Sponsor Message Europe Arsenal's glory weekend beckons, and soccer fans all over the world are watching Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes fired the last of his team's penalties over the bar to hand PSG the shootout win. The French giant is only the second team to retain the trophy in the modern era after all-time king of Europe Real Madrid.

Luis Enrique became a three-time winner as a coach and has moulded a team that is simply too good even for the best the continent has to offer. That includes an Arsenal team that won the Premier League last week and topped the first stage of the Champions League with a perfect winning record, finishing 10 points and 10 places ahead of PSG. That mattered little in Puskas Arena as PSG reaffirmed its status as the dominant force in European soccer.

"It's even more special because we knew before the match how difficult it would be," Luis Enrique said. "I think it's deserved over the course of the whole season, even if the final was very closely contested. " After demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in last year's final, PSG endured a tougher foe as Arsenal sat deep and relied on the best defense in the competition.

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PSG dominated possession but created little after going behind to a Kai Havertz goal in the sixth minute. It took an Ousmane Dembélé penalty in the 65th to level the score and take the final to extra time for the first time in 10 years. Sponsor Message PSG coach in elite company By going back to back, Luis Enrique achieved what his good friend Pep Guardiola could not after winning Champions Leagues at Barcelona and Manchester City.

Luis Enrique joined Carlo Ancelotti, Bob Paisley, Zinedine Zidane and Guardiola in an elite group of coaches with at least three European Cups. The next target will be to emulate Madrid's three in a row under Zidane from 2016-18. And with a starting lineup in Budapest with an average age of less than 24, Luis Enrique has built a team that has the potential to dominate for years.

"It's crazy, it's crazy. We're going to enjoy it first, and after we're going to work and work again because we want more. We are really hungry.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.