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Nearly 300 Arrests Made During Soccer Celebrations In Paris

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated May 31, 2025 11:40 PM ET

For the first time in history, the city of Paris, France got to celebrate the prestigious UEFA Champions League title as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan 5-0 earlier today.

Unfortunately, the celebrations soon got out of hand and nearly 300 arrests have been made in the hours since their victory.

According to the Associated Press, the game was broadcast all throughout Paris during the game (which was being played in Munich, Germany), and as PSG kept scoring and extending their league, the craziness began unfolding.

A "brief altercation" reportedly started during the game's first half, with PSG fans setting off flares, prompting riot police to use tear gas to break things up. As of 2 a.m. local time in Paris, 294 arrests have been made. 30 people apparently broke into a shoe store during the chaos and two cars got set on fire near the Parc des Princes stadium.

"At the top of the Champs-Élysées avenue, a water cannon was used to protect the Place de l’Étoile, near the landmark Arc de Triomphe. Police said a large crowd not watching the match tried to push through a barrier to make contact with police.

"By 2 a.m. Sunday, a total of 294 arrests had been made, including 30 who broke into a shoe shop on the Champs-Élysées. Two cars were set alight close to Parc des Princes, police added."

In the aftermath of the win, PSG forward Ousmane Dembele called for calm. He begged for fans to celebrate "without breaking everything in Paris."

“Let’s celebrate but without breaking everything in Paris,” Dembele told Canal Plus.

For those PSG fans who didn't break the law though, they have every reason to be thrilled. For over a decade the club has dominated French soccer, winning the Ligue 1 title 11 times since 2013 after winning just twice in their first 40-plus years of existence. But the Champions League title - the most prestigious trophy in European club soccer - eluded them.

Even when the team acquired three of the world's biggest soccer stars - Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar - the team still struggled to get over the hump and wound up parting ways with all three megastars without winning the Champions League.

But now they've finally got the prize they've always wanted. It may be a long time before they win another - or it could be next year.

Now that PSG is finally over the hump, there's no more jinx or hex to worry about.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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