780 arrested, deadly road accident in riotous PSG celebrations across France
The 780 arrests was a 32 percent increase compared to the celebrations of PSG's Champions League win last year, the minister noted.
A man waves a Paris Saint-Germain flag as a barricade burns in the 16th arrondissement of Paris on May 30, 2026, as the city celebrates the club's UEFA Champions League title win over Arsenal FC. (Photos by AFP)
780 arrested, deadly road accident in riotous PSG celebrations across France
PARIS — French authorities announced Sunday that 780 people were arrested across the country when overnight celebrations of Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League victory over Arsenal were marred by violent clashes, and a road accident that killed a young man.
Thousands of people poured into the streets of Paris for the match and to revel in PSG's triumph in the final held in the Hungarian capital Budapest late Saturday.
But some mobs clashed with police, around 22,000 of whom were deployed across France after unrest last year when PSG also won the competition.
PsPSG supporters cheer and play a drum on the Champs-Elysees Avenue as they celebrate the club won the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal FC played in Budapest, in Paris on May 30, 2026.
Highlighting an increased use of fireworks directed at law enforcement, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in a press briefing 57 security forces were injured and that there had been "219 participants injured in France, including eight seriously".
Another young man was seriously injured in a knife attack in Paris allegedly over a robbery, the prosecutor's office added.
Nunez said a small number of thefts and lootings had taken place in around fifteen cities across the country and incidents of violence were recorded in 71 municipalities.
The 780 arrests was a 32 percent increase compared to the celebrations of PSG's Champions League win last year, the minister noted.
Victory parade
Around 100,000 people are expected to gather for a parade including the players on Sunday afternoon on the Champs-de-Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower, before being received at the Elysee Palace by President Emmanuel Macron.
Nunez promised "a strong law enforcement response" during the players' return celebrations and fines for "obstructing traffic" in the event of any intrusion onto the Paris ring road.
A car is set ablaze as PSG supporters celebrate their team's win in the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal FC played in Budapest, at Place du Trocadero opposite the Eiffel Tower in Paris on May 30, 2026.
On Saturday night, the "Champs-Elysees avenue and its surroundings ceased to be a place of celebration and became an arena of urban guerrilla warfare", the town hall said in a statement.
"Since it has become impossible to celebrate a match without descending into riots, the only common sense response is a new doctrine: 'zero gatherings'," it demanded.
Nunez dismissed the idea saying it would "tie up almost half of the security deployment". Nearly 6,000 police and gendarmes have been deployed for security during the celebrations on Sunday.