Over 780 Arrested in France After PSG Champions League Victory Turns Violent

French police detained more than 780 people nationwide on May 31, 2026, including 283 in Paris, after violent clashes erupted when Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League in a penalty shoot-out in Budapest. The unrest injured 219 people including dozens of police officers despite deployment of 22,000 police across France, with 8,000 in Paris. Approximately 20,000 fans converged on the Champs-Élysées as celebrations turned violent.

PSG Champions League victory

• ▪Paris Saint-Germain players will be received by President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace on June 1, 2026
• ▪Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League final on May 31, 2026 in a penalty shoot-out victory in Budapest, Hungary
• ▪Paris Saint-Germain retained the Champions League title after winning the competition the previous year
• ▪Tens of thousands gathered inside Paris Saint-Germain's Parc des Princes stadium on May 31, 2026 to watch the Champions League final, while 4,000 to 5,000 people loitered outside with projectiles which were thrown at officers
• ▪Paris Saint-Germain players will participate in a parade on June 1, 2026 on the Champs-de-Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower with approximately 100,000 people expected

Mass arrests nationwide

• ▪Police detained more than 280 people in Paris on May 31, 2026 after violent clashes erupted when thousands poured onto the streets during Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final victory
• ▪416 people were detained nationwide in France on May 31, 2026, including 283 who were apprehended in Paris
• ▪Approximately 20,000 people converged on Paris's Champs-Élysées avenue on May 31, 2026 as fans celebrated Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League victory

Police deployment operations

• ▪Two dozen flares and about 100 fireworks were seized by police on May 31, 2026 during Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final celebrations
• ▪Clashes broke out between police and Paris Saint-Germain supporters near the Parc des Princes stadium on May 31, 2026, and officers responded with tear gas when fireworks were thrown at them
• ▪Paris tram lines were halted, several metro stations shut, and bus traffic halted in places on May 31, 2026 in a bid to minimise disturbances during the Paris Saint-Germain Champions League final
• ▪22,000 police were deployed across France for the Paris Saint-Germain Champions League final on May 31, 2026, including 8,000 in Paris
• ▪About 150 people attempted to enter through one of the gates at Paris Saint-Germain's Parc des Princes stadium on May 31, 2026 but police pushed them back

Property damage incidents

• ▪A bakery and a restaurant were damaged near Paris Saint-Germain's Parc des Princes stadium on May 31, 2026
• ▪A bus shelter was destroyed near the Champs-Élysées on May 31, 2026 during Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final celebrations
• ▪Seven police officers were wounded during unrest following Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final victory on May 31, 2026
• ▪Shops boarded up their windows ahead of the Paris Saint-Germain Champions League final on May 31, 2026 to avoid a repeat of disturbances from the previous year when youths ransacked shops on the Champs-Élysées
• ▪A group of Paris Saint-Germain supporters stormed the Paris ring road, the peripherique, on May 31, 2026, bringing traffic to a halt and letting off flares
• ▪Six vehicles and two businesses were damaged during unrest following Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final victory on May 31, 2026

Political reactions

• ▪French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called the unrest following Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final victory on May 31, 2026 "absolutely unacceptable"