Two people died, hundreds were arrested, and dozens of cars were set ablaze overnight in France as football fans celebrated Paris Saint-Germain’s stunning 5-0 Champions League final victory over Inter Milan, the interior ministry confirmed on Sunday.
The epicenter of the celebrations was Paris, where streets came alive with car horns, cheering crowds, singing, and fireworks throughout the night. However, the festivities turned chaotic, especially around the Champs-Elysees avenue, where 491 people were arrested after clashes erupted with police officers.
Across the country, a total of 559 arrests were made, and 692 fires were reported, including 264 vehicles set on fire. The two deaths occurred during the celebrations: a man on a motor scooter was hit by a car in Paris’s 15th arrondissement, and a 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in the southwestern town of Dax. Authorities said the stabbing happened during the celebrations, but it remains unclear if it was directly related to the football event. The suspect is currently at large.
Police reported 18 officers injured in Paris, three elsewhere in France, alongside 192 injured celebrants and seven fire-service personnel hurt during the unrest.
Ahead of the celebrations, PSG planned a victory parade on the Champs-Elysees, attracting tens of thousands of fans eager to greet the team. AFP journalists witnessed police using water cannons to stop crowds from reaching the Arc de Triomphe amid clashes involving fireworks and other projectiles. One policeman was seriously injured by a firework in Normandy and remains in an induced coma.
In Grenoble, southeastern France, a car plowed into a group of fans, injuring four members of the same family. The driver surrendered to police and was arrested; investigations suggest no intent or impairment.
While most fans celebrated peacefully, disturbances occurred near the Champs-Elysees and PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where 48,000 people had watched the match on giant screens. The majority of arrests in Paris involved possession of illegal fireworks and disorderly conduct.
The historic victory marked PSG’s first-ever Champions League title, sparking widespread joy among supporters. One fan, Clement, said, “It’s so good and so deserved! We have a song that talks about our struggles and it hasn’t always been easy. But we got our faith back this year with a team without stars. They’re 11 guys who play for each other.”
French President Emmanuel Macron praised the team’s achievement as a “day of glory for PSG” and plans to host the players to congratulate them. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo described the win as “historic.” The final attracted 11.5 million viewers across France, underscoring the immense national interest in PSG’s triumph.
