Achraf Hakimi celebrates PSG’s historic UCL triumph

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi praised his Paris Saint-Germain teammates after their dramatic Champions League final victory over Arsenal, calling the European crown the reward for sustained hard work.

“There are no words, we are very happy, proud of the work. It wasn’t easy,” Hakimi said. “Hard work pays off, today it paid off. Everyone was tired, the players who came on did the job”.

The match started poorly for PSG. In the sixth minute, Kai Havertz capitalised on Marquinhos’ error, sprinting into space and smashing the ball past Matvey Safonov into the roof of the net. Arsenal then sat deep, managing just 22% possession while defending resolutely against an unfocused PSG in the first half.

The turning point came after halftime. PSG played with renewed purpose and earned a penalty when Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Dembele stepped up coolly to convert the spot-kick, equalising in the 65th minute. Regular time ended balanced, with Arsenal threatening more while Kvaratskhelia struck the post. Extra time saw Arsenal claim a strong penalty after Nuno Mendes tussled with Noni Madueke, but VAR backed the referee’s no-call decision.

In the shootout, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes missed for Arsenal, sealing PSG’s triumph.