By Opta Analyst | Created at 2026-05-30 20:24:19 | Updated at 2026-06-07 11:49:32
1 week ago
PSG became just the second team in the Champions League era to retain the trophy as Luis Enrique’s side beat Arsenal in Budapest, capping another record-breaking European campaign.
PSG are European champions once again.
Luis Enrique’s side required penalties to edge past Premier League champions Arsenal in Saturday’s Champions League final in Budapest. Kai Havertz had put Arsenal into an early lead, but Ousmane Dembélé equalised with a spot-kick midway through the second half, and the game ended level after extra-time, with PSG going on to win a dramatic shootout.
Having beaten Internazionale 5-0 in last year’s final, the Parisians have become just the second team in the Champions League era to retain the trophy, after Real Madrid won three successive titles between 2016 and 2018. Overall, this is the 10th time in European Cup history that a side has won (at least) back-to-back crowns.
After years of trying to use brute force to make their way to European success through individual star quality, with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar leading the line, this triumph feels like definitive proof that PSG’s success has instead been built on the collective strength of the team.
At the helm, Luis Enrique has been the mastermind of that transformation.
The Spaniard’s flawless record in Champions League finals remains. He’s now won all three finals he’s managed in the competition, having guided Barcelona to glory in 2015 before leading PSG to successive titles.
Among managers to take charge of at least 50 Champions League matches, Luis Enrique’s 63.2% win ratio stands way out on top.
Best Win Rates in Champions League History
(min 50 games)
- Luis Enrique – 63.3% (50 wins/79 games)
- Pep Guardiola – 61.3% (117/191)
- Louis van Gaal – 60.0% (57/95)
- Thomas Tuchel – 59.7% (40/67)
- Zinedine Zidane – 58.5% (31/53)
There has been no mistaking how PSG have done it. Even though they weren’t at their free-flowing best against Arsenal’s stingy defence, they did – just about – manage to score, and that goal means they’ve finished the 2025-26 Champions League campaign with 45 goals, equalling the record for the most goals scored in a single edition of the competition.
That tally has of course been helped by the competition’s expanded format. PSG’s failure to finish inside the top eight in the league phase also meant they played two additional matches in the knockout play-off round against Monaco, giving them further opportunities to add to their total.
At the heart of their attack has been Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Even though he didn’t have the best night in Budapest, he still won the penalty from which Ousmane Dembélé scored PSG’s equaliser, and played a huge part in PSG’s route to the final.
He was in devastating form against Bayern Munich in the semi-final, scoring twice in the first leg before teeing up Dembélé’s early goal in the second. Those contributions took him to 10 goal involvements in the knockout stages of the Champions League this season, leaving him one shy of the overall record.
Victory in Budapest also extended PSG’s unbeaten run in Champions League knockout matches to 12 games, with 10 wins and two draws. Aston Villa were the last team to beat PSG in the knockout phase, winning 3-2 at Villa Park in the 2024-25 quarter-finals. Even then, PSG still progressed through the tie.
Their ability to get past English opposition has been remarkable in recent seasons. Luis Enrique’s side have now prevailed in each of their last six Champions League knockout ties against Premier League teams. Manchester City were the last English club to eliminate the Parisians, doing so in the semi-finals all the way back in 2020-21.
The Premier League may still rank as the strongest division in the world according to the Opta Power Rankings, but PSG’s back-to-back European titles have without doubt made them the benchmark in continental football.
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