Two league champions walked into Budapest’s Puskás Arena on Saturday for the UEFA Champions League Final, and Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal 4-3 in a penalty shootout after 120 minutes of tightly contested football ended 1-1.
The match between the Ligue 1 and Premier League title holders was as fiercely contested as a final could be, and the NFL world on social media had plenty to say when the game ended.
Kai Havertz’s Early Strike Wasn’t Enough for Arsenal Against PSG
Arsenal struck first through Kai Havertz in the sixth minute after a clearance from Marquinhos deflected off Leandro Trossard and sent the German forward streaking down the left side of the pitch. Havertz blasted a shot over Matvei Safonov and under the crossbar.
He joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Mandžukić as the only players to score in a Champions League final with two different clubs, having previously scored for Chelsea.
PSG absorbed the early blow and gradually dominated possession for the rest of the game. The equalizer came in the 65th minute when reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele converted from the penalty spot after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia drew a foul inside the Arsenal box.
Kvaratskhelia then made way for Bradley Barcola in the 83rd minute, and the substitute squandered two golden opportunities to win it for PSG. Dembele was replaced by Gonçalo Ramos before the extra period, while Vitinha and captain Marquinhos were also withdrawn at the interval of extra time.
The final went to penalties, and David Raya saved Nuno Mendes’ effort to keep Arsenal in the contest after Eberechi Eze had earlier missed his kick. Gabriel, who had been arguably the best defender in football this season, sent his decisive penalty blazing over the crossbar, and PSG were able to win the shootout even without Dembele, Vitinha, and Kvaratskhelia present on the field.
Here’s how the NFL world reacted on social media:
Barstool Sports’ founder, Dave Portnoy, a fan of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal’s biggest rivals, celebrated PSG’s win and mocked Arsenal by sharing a video on X.
YOU HATE TO SEE ARSENAL CHOKE WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE @troopzafc @DaMidgetZimbo pic.twitter.com/cRIB1XKCkA
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) May 30, 2026
“PSG! What an ending!” Cowboys analyst RJ Ochoa said on X.
Wow 🤯
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) May 30, 2026
“Congrats to PSG on winning the Champions League Final,” Robert Griffin III wrote about the matchup.
Despair. pic.twitter.com/pPsX79sJZR
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) May 30, 2026
“Oh, my God. That’s devastation. What a miss,” Barstool’s Big Cat said about Gabriel’s penalty miss.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
“Please pray for Gabriel Magalhães’ mentions after missing that penalty kick for Arsenal,” Griffin said in another post.
I’m in the store and this ball hit someone in the checkout line wtf https://t.co/hH2Dv7BMkl
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) May 30, 2026
PSG became only the second team in the Champions League era to win consecutive titles, joining Real Madrid, who completed the feat across 2016, 2017, and 2018. For a club that had zero European Cups before last season’s 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in Munich, the speed of the ascent under Luis Enrique has been stunning.
The conversation now shifts to whether PSG can three-peat. They are reportedly eyeing a transfer for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, and adding a World Cup-winning striker to an attack already built around Dembele, Kvaratskhelia, and Désiré Doué would make PSG the overwhelming favorites to win again next season.
