Head coach Luis Enrique had previously articulated his vision: securing the Champions League trophy twice in a row served as an even more profound motivation than claiming a maiden title. The exhilarating semi-final clash against fellow contender Bayern Munich (5-4 aggregate, 1-1) underscored this PSG squad’s insatiable hunger for silverware and their determination to forge a lasting legacy. Enrique’s directive, issued at the close of the previous season, was clear: establish a dominant PSG era in European football. His players have clearly embraced this challenge, even after a final where their performance wasn’t flawless.
After conceding an early goal to Kai Havertz in the 6th minute, the Parisian side demonstrated resilience, drawing level through a Dembélé penalty in the 65th minute. The decisive moment arrived at the very end of the evening, when Gabriel’s penalty shot soared over the crossbar in Budapest, sealing PSG’s victory.
This penalty shootout triumph marks the sixth consecutive win under Luis Enrique’s leadership, a testament to his astonishing 100% success rate in such scenarios, including four decisive finals this year alone.
Achieving a back-to-back Champions League victory remains a rare feat. Since the tournament’s modern inception in 1993, only Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid managed to do so, securing three consecutive titles in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Now, with their first two titles in 2025 and 2026, Paris Saint-Germain joins the Spanish giants in this exclusive club.
Luis Enrique: the tactical maestro
Over the past two years, the capital club has exuded an undeniable sense of calm and conviction. Despite a challenging Ligue 1 season, where they were pushed to the limit by RC Lens and only secured the title in the penultimate match, Paris demonstrated immense heart to claim this new European crown in Luis Enrique’s third season at the helm.
The ecstatic night in Munich on May 31, 2025, marked their first triumph. The victory in Budapest on May 30, 2026, will be equally etched in the memories of Parisians, representing the culmination of an arduous journey: minimal off-season rest due to the Club World Cup, a string of injuries, and another demanding playoff route to the round of sixteen. Once past these hurdles, PSG truly embodied their status as reigning European champions, sweeping aside Chelsea (5-2, 3-0) and Liverpool (2-0, 2-0) before showcasing their formidable strength against Bayern Munich (5-4 aggregate, 1-1).
Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia: the formidable duo
Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, pivotal figures in their Munich victory, once again spearheaded the Parisian attack, even if neither delivered their best performance in the final itself. Dembélé navigated a challenging season, often playing as a false nine and battling recurrent hamstring and calf injuries. Nevertheless, he maintained impressive consistency when fit, tallying seven goals and two assists in 12 Champions League appearances, alongside 10 goals and seven assists in 22 Ligue 1 matches, where he was named the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner and Ligue 1’s best player for the second consecutive time.
This year, the Georgian sensation, Kvaratskhelia, is a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or. He proved just as instrumental as Dembélé, acting as a crucial catalyst for the reigning European champions in the elite competition, with 10 goals and 6 assists across 15 matches. He notably resolved several precarious situations for PSG, notably coming off the bench to score a brace that pushed back Chelsea at the Parc des Princes, then definitively ending the suspense in the return leg at Stamford Bridge. However, the true strength of this PSG squad lies not merely in individual brilliance, but in a collective force that has dominated all challengers for two years running.
