Violent clashes give way to peaceful PSG parade after Champions League win

PSG fans celebrate the day after winning the Champions League title, at the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, Sunday, May 31, 2026. Emma Da Silva/AP hide caption

PARIS — A huge crowd of supporters gathered peacefully near the Eiffel Tower on Sunday to celebrate Paris Saint-Germain's second Champions League title victory, which was marred by violent clashes overnight across France and led police to detain hundreds of people.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 780 people were detained in Paris and other cities and 57 officers were wounded, with most suffering minor injuries, as football fans set off fires and vandalized shops overnight.

Nuñez said at a news conference on Sunday that "the situation has been largely brought under control."

"Most of the celebrations took place peacefully" across the French capital, he said, noting most incidents happened in the Champs Elysees neighborhood and close to the Parc des Princes stadium, in western Paris, where fans had gathered to watch the match.

Fans began celebrating in Paris after the final whistle on Saturday night in Budapest, Hungary, where Paris Saint-Germain was crowned Champions League winners after beating Arsenal in a dramatic penalty shootout. Fans marched along the avenues near Paris' Arc de Triomphe monument, with some setting off flares and blaring car horns. Around 20,000 people gathered on the Champs-Elysees, where police worked to contain the crowd.

Artists perform ahead of PSG's celebrations the day after winning the Champions League title, at the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, Sunday, May 31, 2026. Emma Da Silva/AP hide caption

Planned celebrations for the team's win on Sunday afternoon at the Champ de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower, went ahead as scheduled. Nunez warned that police would respond with "firmness and determination" to any potential violence.