One dead, hundreds arrested as PSG victory sparks riots across France

One person has died, another is seriously injured, and hundreds have been detained across France after thousands of supporters took to the streets following PSG’s win over Arsenal in the Champions League final.

Chaos broke out as early as the first half, which saw Arsenal’s dreams of winning on Europe’s biggest stage for the first time in their 140-year history end in agony following a 4-3 shoot-out defeat.

Violent clashes erupted when thousands filled out onto the streets as 780 people were arrested overnight, French police said on Sunday.

An investigation has also been launched into the stabbing of an unidentified 17-year-old man near the Champs Élysée.

He is in intensive care, while a 23-year-old man died after crashing his motorbike into a concrete block.

Another incident saw a driver losing control of a car that rammed into a restaurant’s terrace, wounding two people and leaving one with serious injuries.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 57 officers were wounded and said 15 French cities were gripped by violence, including Rennes, Strasbourg, and Grenoble.

Meanwhile in Paris... ???????????? pic.twitter.com/a3pDVrhp60

— Football Fights (@Footballfights) May 30, 2026

Flares and fireworks were set off by the Eiffel Tower as the landmark was lit up in the colors of the winning French side.

Witnesses say rioting started as soon as Kai Havertz put Arsenal one nil up in the sixth minute, which saw riot police deployed and clashing with fans.

Officers used tear gas and baton charges against violent fans in Paris who filled the streets to watch the game on TV screens outside cafés and bars.

Footage shared to social media showed fireworks going off in packed streets, prompting swathes of onlookers to shriek in fear as they ran for safety.

Six vehicles and two businesses sustained damage while a police officer also suffered injuries, according to the Paris police headquarters.

The worst of the chaos in Paris was seen in the Chatelet area of the city, between the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Hundreds of tourists visiting the hotspots also became unintentionally caught up in the trouble, while firefighters were seen battling to extinguish flares set off by PSG fans.

Around 5,000 police and gendarmes were deployed in the French capital and they arrested 39 people by the end of the game, according to reports. 

Footage aired on news channel BFM showed shocking scenes and brief skirmishes around PSG’s Parc de Princes stadium in the west of the city, where over 40,000 fans gathered to watch the game on large screens.