French police detain hundreds in Paris after violent celebrations of PSG’s Champions League title
According to the Paris police prefecture, smaller groups caused disruptions in a number of places, with some of them lighting fires and vandalising stores. They also set cars on fire.
Published on 31/05/2026 - 9:36 GMT+2•Updated 9:37
Police in Paris detained hundreds of people following violence that disrupted celebrations late Saturday of Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) second Champions League title win, and a group tried to storm a police station in the French capital.
Fans began celebrating in Paris after the final whistle earlier in the evening in Budapest, Hungary, where PSG won by beating Arsenal on penalties in a dramatic final.
Fans marched along the avenues near the Arc de Triomphe, with some setting off flares and blaring car horns. Around 20,000 people gathered on the Champs-Elysees, with police working to contain the crowd.
According to the Paris police prefecture, smaller groups caused disruptions in a number of places, with some of them lighting fires and vandalising stores. They also set cars on fire
One police officer was injured. Those who attempted to storm a police station in the posh 8th Arrondissement neighbourhood were dispersed, police said.
It said that by 10 p.m., 45 people were taken into custody.
The main ring road surrounding Paris was briefly blockaded by a crowd before police dispersed it. Police also said one bakery and a restaurant were damaged.
Officers also contained about 1,000 people gathered near the PSG stadium in the 16th Arrondissement and cleared barricades made from bicycles.
In May last year following PSG’s first title, when 201 people were injured in the French capital and police made more than 500 arrests across France, Paris was on high alert, with 8,000 police officers deployed across the city.
