Trending 
Two people died, hundreds were arrested, and cars were set on fire across France on Saturday night as fans celebrated Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) historic Champions League final victory, the Interior Ministry reported on Sunday.
The scenes of jubilation turned chaotic, particularly in Paris, where honking car horns, street chants, and fireworks filled the air following PSG’s 5–0 demolition of Inter Milan in Munich, Germany.
Authorities said police arrested 491 people in the capital after crowds swarmed the Champs-Élysées and clashed with officers. Across the country, they made a total of 559 arrests.
The ministry confirmed two fatalities during the celebrations. In Paris, a man riding a scooter died after a car struck him in the city’s 15th arrondissement, not far from the Champs-Élysées. In Dax, a town in the southwest, someone fatally stabbed a 17-year-old boy during a gathering to celebrate the win. Prosecutors said they had not confirmed if the incident was directly linked to the match. The suspect fled the scene and remains at large.
The Interior Ministry also reported that 18 police officers in Paris and three elsewhere sustained injuries, along with 192 members of the public. Seven fire service personnel were also hurt during the night’s unrest.
Fires raged across the country, with 692 incidents reported overnight, including 264 cars that were torched.
Police deployed a water cannon to disperse crowds attempting to approach the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées. They described some individuals as “troublemakers” who threw large fireworks and other projectiles at officers.
In Normandy, a firework struck a police officer in the eye, leaving him in an induced coma, prosecutors said.
In another incident, a car drove into PSG fans celebrating in Grenoble, southeastern France, injuring four people from the same family, two of them seriously. Police said the driver later turned himself in and was arrested. According to investigators, he did not act deliberately and tested negative for alcohol and drugs.
Despite the disturbances, many fans celebrated peacefully. However, authorities reported clashes near the Champs-Élysées and PSG’s home ground, Parc des Princes, where 48,000 supporters had watched the match on giant screens. Most of those arrested were suspected of disorderly conduct and illegal possession of fireworks.
The victory marks PSG’s first-ever Champions League title, the most prestigious prize in European club football.
President Emmanuel Macron praised the win on social media platform X, calling it a “day of glory for PSG,” and announced he would host the team at the Élysée Palace on Sunday.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo described the win as “historic,” while 20-year-old PSG supporter Clément said: “It’s so good and so deserved! We have a song about our struggles – it hasn’t always been easy. But this year, we believed in a team without stars, 11 guys playing for each other.”
An estimated 11.5 million people across France tuned in to watch the match, according to Médiamétrie and broadcaster Canal+.
