Paris Saint-Germain turned decades of ambition into a masterclass of dominance Saturday, dismantling Inter Milan 5-0 to claim their first UEFA Champions League title and in the most lopsided final in the tournament’s 70-year history.
Teenager Desire Doue, days shy of his 20th birthday, stole the show with two goals and an assist, while Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu completed the rout at the Allianz Arena.
PSG, who had lost their only previous final in 2020, lifted Europe’s top prize at last, marking a monumental reward for years of Qatari investment.
“This means everything. It’s our dream. The result isn’t magic – it’s work,” said midfielder Vitinha, one of PSG’s creative engines on the night.
Led by Luis Enrique, who secured his second Champions League title as a coach after winning with Barcelona in 2015, PSG played with ruthless flair. Their youthful lineup – rebuilt post-Mbappe – overwhelmed Inter from kickoff, scoring early and never letting up.
Hakimi opened the scoring in the 12th minute against his former club, finishing a slick team move he helped start. Vitinha split the defense with a pass to Doue, who squared unselfishly for Hakimi to tap in.
Doue then doubled the lead in the 20th, finishing off a counterattack that began with Willian Pacho's clearance. Kvaratskhelia burst forward, fed Ousmane Dembele, and the winger teed up Doue, whose deflected strike beat Yann Sommer.
Inter, sluggish and second-best all night, managed just one meaningful chance – a Marcus Thuram header that drifted wide. Their night unraveled further when defender Yann Bisseck, a substitute for Benjamin Pavard, limped off after just nine minutes.
Doue sealed his brace in the 63rd minute, latching onto Vitinha’s clever pass to fire in at the near post and effectively end Inter’s hopes.
The French giants kept pushing. Dembele sent Kvaratskhelia galloping free to make it 4-0, and Mayulu – just 19 – rounded it off in the 86th, finishing a one-two with Bradley Barcola for PSG’s fifth.
It marked the biggest margin of victory ever in a Champions League or European Cup final. PSG also became the first team to score five in the final since Benfica in 1962.
For Inter, it was a night of misery. The Nerazzurri, champions in 2010, lost their second final in three years and finished the season empty-handed, having also surrendered the Serie A title to Napoli.
Luis Enrique’s side, who already completed a domestic double, are just the second French club to win Europe’s top prize – Marseille being the first in 1993, also in Munich.
Off the pitch, celebrations in Paris turned tense as scuffles broke out near the Champs-elysees and Parc des Princes. Police detained 59 people, mostly for fireworks possession, and used water cannons to disperse crowds near the Arc de Triomphe.
Still, the triumph sparked jubilation.
“Day of glory for PSG,” President Emmanuel Macron posted on X. “Paris is the capital of Europe tonight.”
The president will host the champions at the elysee Palace on Sunday. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo called it a “historic” win for the city and French football.
