Paris Saint-Germain have etched their names on the UEFA Champions League trophy for the first time, beating Inter in the final in Munich.
UEFA.com reporter Alex Clementson profiles the 2024/25 Champions League winners!
Route to glory
League phase: W4 D1 L3 F14 A9 (15th place)
Knockout phase play-off: Brest 10-0 agg (3-0 a, 7-0 h)
Round of 16: Liverpool 1-1 agg, aet, 4-1pens (0-1 h, 1-0 a)
Quarter-finals: Aston Villa 5-4 agg (3-1 h, 2-3 a)
Semi-final: Arsenal 3-1 agg (1-0 a, 2-1 h)
Final: Inter 5-0
Munich felt a long way away as Paris struggled to hit top gear in the league phase. While victories over Girona and Salzburg boosted their challenge, their campaign became fraught with jeopardy after a dramatic late defeat at home to Atleti on Matchday 4. Luis Enrique's men had no problem fashioning chances, but converting them was their downfall until a remarkable comeback against Manchester City.
After a commanding dismantling of domestic rivals Brest in the knockout phase play-offs, that same lack of clinical edge was on show again as Paris missed numerous chances in a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their round of 16 tie with Liverpool. But they dug deep to recover at Anfield, winning 1-0 on the night before keeping their cool to triumph on penalties, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma the hero with two great saves.
The Italian goalkeeper played a vital role again as they progressed to the semi-finals, making a number of key saves in the 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa that followed a 3-1 first-leg victory at Parc des Princes. An early Ousmane Dembélé strike was enough to see off Arsenal in the first leg of their final four tie in London, and Paris completed the job back at home. All very tight, testing their mettle before letting loose against Inter in the final in a performance for the ages.
Why they won the competition
Because they ended the season as Europe's form team. Luis Enrique's men cantered to the Ligue 1 title, and were equally irrepressible on the continent after their 3-0 drubbing of Salzburg on Matchday 6. The gargantuan two-legged tie with Liverpool in the last 16 had it all, but their victory was ultimately vindicated. The Parisians left Anfield that night empowered and emboldened by the conviction that they might finally have found the right formula to win the Champions League. Subsequent successes against Aston Villa and Arsenal underlined that belief; triumph over Inter vindicated it.
Team leaders
Top scorer: Ousmane Dembélé (8)
Most assists: Ousmane Dembélé (6)
Distance covered: João Neves (184.3km)
Top speed: Achraf Hakimi (36.9km/h)
Most minutes: Willian Pacho (1,542)
Top Fantasy points scorer: Achraf Hakimi (125)
How they played
Fashioning chances has never been a problem for Paris, but converting them had previously been their downfall. With that remedied, Luis Enrique has succeeded in devising one of Europe's most multi-faceted sides. Marrying metronomic midfielders capable of recycling possession and probing for space against stoic opposition structures, the Parisians also boast the athleticism and explosivity that the modern game demands. Somewhat overlooked, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho and Nuno Mendes provide the defensive foundations for those further forward to flourish.
Coach: Luis Enrique
The former Barcelona and Real Madrid player won nine trophies during a hugely successful three-year spell in charge of the Blaugrana, including two La Liga crowns and the 2014/15 Champions League. He led Spain to the UEFA EURO 2020 semi-finals and the 2021 UEFA Nations League final before succeeding Christophe Galtier at Paris in 2023, winning a domestic double and making it to the Champions League semi-finals in his first campaign. He went one better in 2024/25, winning the coveted Champions League title to make it a treble.
Watch Paris lift Champions League trophy
Did you know?
Paris are the third French team to reach the final of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League more than once after Reims (1955/56, 1958/59) and Marseille (1990/91, 1992/93). Like OM, they won it at the second attempt.
