Thursday, October 8, 2026
  • -
    days
  • -
    hours
  • -
    minutes
  • -
    seconds

Champions League Fallout: Prize Money, Unrest, and Arsenal’s Ill-Timed Parade

Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal to win the Champions League for the second year in a row on Saturday.

Reuters-Phil Noble

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Paris Saint-Germain won back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles in Budapest on Saturday after defeating Arsenal in a penalty shootout.

Each team had one goal going into the shootout, which Paris Saint-Germain won 4–3 after Arsenal’s Gabriel sent his team’s last chance over the crossbar.

The Ligue 1 champions are taking home an estimated $170 million in prize money from winning Europe, according to The Athletic. (UEFA won’t release exact figures until next year.) It’s close to the roughly $168 million PSG earned last season from winning the league.

Celebrations across France turned wild, with piles of bikes being set on fire and police spraying tear gas on crowds. Authorities confirmed at least one person died in the unrest that saw more than 200 people injured and around 800 arrested. Two people died during the same celebrations last year.

The team held a rally with fans in Paris on Sunday where players showed off the Champions League trophy.

Later Sunday, the club posted a statement on social media, originally in French, saying it was “saddened by the violence and damage that affected our city.”

“These acts reflect neither the values of football nor the spirit of this celebration,” the team said.

Reuters-Isabel Infantes

Arsenal Celebrates, Too

Arsenal will only earn about $3 million less than PSG from its Champions League campaign, The Athletic projected. The team has already made about $1 billion in revenue this season, a new Premier League record.

Arsenal returned to London for an awkwardly timed victory parade Sunday to celebrate winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years earlier this month. Hundreds of thousands of fans attended the parade, with London’s Metropolitan Police calling the event one of its biggest operations of the year.

Arsenal Women, who won the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup in February, also participated in the parade through North London.

After weeks of a dizzying title race in England, promotions and relegations, fights for European qualification, and league victors being crowned, the Champions League final marked soccer’s last big hurrah before all eyes turn to North America. The 2026 World Cup, hosted in 16 cities across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, kicks off on June 11.

Many of the players who competed in the Champions League final Saturday will be in the World Cup, and they have a quick turnaround from their club seasons to the biggest international tournament.

Six PSG players will represent France, including star Ousmane Dembélé, while four will play for Portugal. Four Arsenal Gunners are playing for England, including Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, and three, including goalkeeper David Raya, will represent Spain. 

Players on both teams are representing a number of other countries, including Morocco, Ecuador, South Korea, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, and Sweden.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Filing Details Jeanie Buss’s Side Deal to Remain Lakers Governor

Jeanie Buss was granted five years as team governor.
Jul 24, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; An official MLB baseball with a Toronto Blue Jays logo sits on the grass before a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

MLB Owners Propose 154-Game Season, Expanded Playoffs

The proposal also includes a weekly off day.
Sep 27, 2026; Rio De Janeiro, BRA; (Editors Notes: Caption Correction) A view of the NFL logo and the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys during the game at Maracana Stadium.

NFL Urges Supreme Court to Hear Prediction-Markets Case

“It is critical for the Court to act as soon as possible,” a league source says.
Sep 25, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Yankees Exit Leaves Questions Heading Into Likely Lockout

Aaron Judge calls for the club to be “all in” for 2027.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/8/26 – Rahm Rejects LIV, Trump’s Stormy Georgia-Alabama Visit, Super Bowl on Disney+

0:00

Featured Today

Oct 3, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer waits to run onto the field prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Who Is Alabama Football in Year 3 Under Kalen DeBoer?

The No. 6 Crimson Tide host No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.
Cubs behind the scenes
October 6, 2026

Hollywood and TikTok: Sports Media’s New ‘Blueprint’

Teams and leagues are pouring money into the quest for fans.
October 2, 2026

How the Baseball Cap Became a ‘Behemoth’

The hat has become essential for athletes, fans, and the sports-agnostic.
Morishita-Sato-homerun-celebration-at-Meiji-Jingu-Baseball-Staidum-2025
September 28, 2026

Japanese Baseball Is Fighting Back Against MLB Talent Drain

Nippon Professional Baseball is reimagining how to be a global juggernaut.
Aug 9, 2026; Bedminster, New Jersey, USA; President Donald Trump walks out of the clubhouse during the final round of the LIV Golf New York tournament at Trump National Bedminster.
September 25, 2026

Trump’s Year of Sports Gets Busier With CFB, Presidents Cup

The impact of Trump’s attendance varies across each sporting event.
October 7, 2026

WNBA Semifinals Open With 1.15M Viewers, Up 10%

NBC aired its first WNBA playoff game in more than two decades.
Oct 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Didier Fuentes (72) throws during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.
October 7, 2026

MLB Division Series Extends Postseason Ratings Streak

Fox Sports and TNT Sports saw initial viewership lifts in the Division Series.
Sponsored

Beyond the Scorecard: How Dow Is Putting Purpose at the Center of Women’s Golf

Discover how Dow and the LPGA are building a partnership with lasting impact.
Sep 27, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
October 7, 2026

Kyle Juszczyk Wins Chugging Celebration Appeal, League Adjusts Policy

Juszczyk had received two fines of $14,926 each.
In addition to playing along the ocean and Intracoastal Water on the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course, if you time right you also watch the sunset or sunrise.
October 7, 2026

Daylight Saving Time Remains Complicated for Golf Industry

The PGA Tour recently voiced its support for permanent daylight saving time.
First at FOS
October 7, 2026

NFL Wants to Know Which Combine Measurements Actually Matter

The NFL Scouting Combine is the focus of this Big Data Bowl.
October 6, 2026

WNBA Playoffs Deliver Most-Watched First Round Ever

Game 3 between the Aces and Fever drew 2.3 million viewers.