by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
PARIS/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Paris police detained dozens of people as celebrations of Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League football (soccer) triumph descended into violence late Saturday, while authorities in Budapest, which hosted the final, also dealt with clashes and security incidents involving supporters.
What began as jubilant scenes in the French capital quickly turned violent after PSG claimed its second Champions League title by defeating Arsenal on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Budapest.
The iconic Eiffel Tower was illuminated in the colors of the French flag as fireworks lit up the night sky. However, authorities said celebrations soon spiraled into disorder, with groups vandalizing property, setting fires, and clashing with police.
Thousands of supporters gathered along the Champs-Élysées and near the Arc de Triomphe, setting off flares, sounding car horns, and turning the center into resembling a war zone.
PARIS DESCENDS INTO CHAOS
Paris police said smaller groups caused disturbances in several parts of the city, damaging shops, setting vehicles ablaze, and attempting to storm a police station in the upscale 8th Arrondissement.
Authorities said officers dispersed the crowd, while one police officer was injured during the unrest.
By 10 p.m., police had detained at least 45 people.
A crowd briefly blocked the ring road surrounding Paris before officers restored order. Police also reported damage to a bakery and a restaurant.
Officers further intervened near PSG’s stadium in the 16th Arrondissement, where around 1,000 people gathered and erected makeshift barricades using bicycles.
SOCIAL TENSIONS EMERGE
Some commentators argued that the unrest reflected deeper social tensions within France, including frustrations among youths from immigrant backgrounds, many of them Muslims. However, authorities had not released a detailed breakdown of those arrested, and the motives behind individual acts of violence remained under investigation.
French authorities had been on heightened alert following PSG’s first Champions League title celebration last year, when 201 people were injured, and more than 500 arrests were made across France.
This year, some 8,000 police officers were deployed across Paris amid concerns that victory celebrations could again turn violent.
Elsewhere, in Budapest, tourism experts estimated that more than 200,000 supporters traveled to the Hungarian capital for what may have been the largest tourism event in the city’s history.
The final was played at Budapest’s Puskás Aréna, where both Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and his predecessor, football enthusiast Viktor Orbán, made appearances.
BUDAPEST TAKES CENTER STAGE
“At this moment, more than one billion people are watching the Champions League final live from Budapest,” Magyar said, adding that “Hungary is now the center of the world.”
Orbán also appeared at the stadium, which was built during his years in power and has long been a source of political controversy.
In a video posted from the venue, Orbán joked that he regretted that “the Puskás Aréna is so small.”
The stadium seats more than 67,000 spectators and was built at a reported cost exceeding 600 million euros ($690 million), roughly double the cost of some comparable European stadium projects. Critics have cited the project as an example of alleged corruption and preferential awarding of construction contracts. Orbán and his allies have denied wrongdoing.
Despite extensive security preparations, Budapest also experienced several incidents linked to the match.
FAN TROUBLES IN HUNGARY
A British supporter who suffered life-threatening injuries in an electric scooter accident reportedly left a hospital against medical advice because he wanted to attend the final. Police later located him through family members and returned him to hospital for treatment.
Authorities also reported several arrests following fights, vandalism, and public-order disturbances around the Champions Festival and in Budapest’s nightlife district.
Police said a clash involving Portuguese and British supporters erupted near one of the festival entrances, while later incidents included property damage, drunken disorder, and a fight involving fans who ignited smoke flares in the city center.
Among other incidents, police arrested a British citizen after authorities said he climbed onto the roof of a parked vehicle and damaged it. Officers also detained several people wanted on unrelated offenses. Despite the disturbances, officials stressed that the overwhelming majority of supporters celebrated peacefully.
For many visitors, the match transformed Budapest into the center of the football world for a night, drawing hundreds of thousands of supporters and a global television audience to the Hungarian capital.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.