A triumphant victory for one side devolved into violent riots for the other in France this week. Hundreds were arrested across the European country after clashes erupted between football fans and police following Paris Saint-Germain‘s (PSG) victory against Arsenal in the nail-biting Champions League final over the weekend.

According to the French Interior Ministry’s preliminary statement, 416 people were taken into custody nationwide in the early hours of Sunday. About 280 of those people were arrested in the French capital, Paris. Calling the unrest “absolutely unacceptable,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez revealed that at least seven officers were injured amid the unrest.

International news outlets further reported that about 20,000 people swarmed the iconic Champs-Élysées Avenue in Paris and launched fireworks after PSG won 4-3 against Arsenal in a penalty shootout. According to the French police, several hundred fireworks and two dozen flares were eventually confiscated.

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Football-fuelled French riots break out for the second year in a row

“Only in France does a football club’s victory spark riots,” far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted on X. “Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence.”

Her remarks on the public forum particularly highlighted that this wasn’t just PSG’s second consecutive victory, but also the second year of football mania fuelling violence in the French streets. The French team’s 2025 triumph similarly resulted in hundreds of arrests, in addition to the deaths of two individuals, as celebrations took a deadly turn.

Videos of Paris riots revealed

Footage from France has since been circulating on social media, appearing to show disturbing visuals of football fans causing harm to businesses and more. As reported by the BBC, French police said six vehicles, two businesses, and a bus shelter were damaged during the riots.

In addition to fans taking over the Champs-Élysées after Paris Saint-Germain’s penalty shootout win, clashes broke out between authorities and supporters who came out to watch the game on giant screens at the French team’s Parc des Princes earlier that day.

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A group of people even allegedly attempted to storm a police station in Paris, according to Abc.Net.Au. Dozens of others set off flares and blared car horns near the Arc de Triomphe.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also amplified the unsettling news about “problems in Paris” on X. He re-posted footage shared by a French freelance journalist, Luc Auffret, shedding light on the escalating situation near the Parc des Princes after PSG’s final victory.

A huge number of jersey-wearing football supporters were seen running down the street, as officers sporting full tactical gear chased them from behind to contain the situation. In the midst of it all, multiple fires can also be spotted in the middle of the street.

French news outlet Le Monde reported that multiple shops boarded up their windows to avoid a repeat of last year’s trouble. An AFP reporter also noted that officers present at the scene responded with tear gas when fireworks were hurled at them.