What began as a night of triumph quickly spiraled into chaos.
After Paris Saint-Germain edged past Arsenal with a tense 2-1 victory on Wednesday night to book their place in the Champions League final, the City of Light lit up with fire and fury.
Fans poured into the streets, waving flags, lighting flares, and chanting into the early hours.
For PSG supporters, this wasn’t just a win — it was salvation, a shot at their first-ever Champions League crown. But amid the roar of celebration came the crackle of unrest.
Near the Champs-Élysées — long a stage for both joy and protest — the mood shifted.
A Mercedes tore through a group of pedestrians. Three people were left injured, one a minor now fighting for life in a Paris hospital.
The car’s driver and passenger abandoned the vehicle and vanished into the crowd. Moments later, the crowd turned on the car, setting it ablaze. Police arrived to find only a smoking husk.
The city had deployed over 2,000 officers ahead of the match, anticipating the frenzy. It wasn’t enough.
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Across Paris, 47 people were arrested. Clashes between riot police and fans ignited outside the Parc des Princes stadium and on the city’s arteries.
Tear gas drifted through the streets. Fireworks exploded overhead. On the outskirts, in Fontainebleau, officers broke up a mob of 500 with force.
By dawn, four vehicles were damaged, two torched. Burned metal and spent tear gas canisters littered the streets once filled with singing.
Prosecutors confirmed an investigation was underway for assault and hit-and-run. “The circumstances remain unclear,” police said, though many online were already sharing footage, some cheering, some horrified.
Still, even as the smoke clears, the city buzzes with anticipation for May 31 — when PSG will take the pitch in the Champions League final, chasing history.
But for now, Paris is waking up to the price of victory.