Paris Saint-Germain has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming only the second team in history to win consecutive Champions League titles, overcoming Arsenal in a penalty shootout in Budapest on Saturday.
The decisive moment came when Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães sent his penalty soaring over the crossbar, giving PSG a 4-3 victory after the teams finished regulation and extra time tied at 1-1.
For Arsenal, who recently ended a 22-year title drought by winning the Premier League this season, the quest for their first European title continues.
In a fashion reminiscent of their only previous final two decades ago, Arsenal started strong. A mishap from PSG’s Marquinhos allowed Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard to intercept the ball, setting up Kai Havertz, who charged toward goal and fired a shot from a tight angle into the net.
However, similar to their previous final against Barcelona, Arsenal could not maintain their lead in the second half. After holding off PSG for almost an hour, their defense cracked when Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the penalty area.
Following a VAR review and a lengthy pause, Ousmane Dembélé calmly converted the penalty, sending David Raya the wrong way and equalizing the score.
With this victory, PSG joins Real Madrid, who claimed three consecutive titles from 2016 to 2018, as the only teams to defend the Champions League since its rebranding in 1992.
This final marked the first to go to a penalty shootout since Madrid defeated their rivals Atlético Madrid to win their first of three titles a decade ago.
PSG now becomes the 10th team in the history of the European Cup, dating back to its inception in 1955, to secure back-to-back victories.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.