PSG’s Champions League Coronation: A Final Like No Other, A Dream Finally Realized

Paris Saint-Germain’s long, winding journey to UEFA Champions League glory has finally reached its climax—and in a fashion that no one could have predicted. On May 31, 2025, at Munich’s Allianz Arena, PSG didn’t just win their first-ever European crown—they destroyed Inter Milan in a performance so overwhelming it felt less like a final and more like a tutorial. The final score: PSG 5–0 Inter Milan.

It was the biggest margin of victory in the history of a European Cup final. It was a statement of intent, of redemption, and above all, of a new identity forged not by megastar indulgence, but by tactical precision, discipline, and youth-driven ambition. And at the center of it all stood one man: Luis Enrique—the architect who turned PSG’s Champions League curse into a historic continental treble.

A Final That Defied Expectations

Most Champions League finals are tense, tactical chess matches—tight games where a single moment of brilliance often separates glory from despair. Not this one. From the very first whistle, it was apparent that Inter Milan were overmatched. PSG were ruthless, fluid, and relentless. Within just 21 minutes, they were 2–0 up, and the rest of the match became a one-sided showcase of everything Luis Enrique had built over the past season.

The scoring began with Achraf Hakimi in the 12th minute, latching onto a cross from 19-year-old prodigy Désiré Doué, who would go on to have a night for the history books. Doué doubled the lead in the 21st with a deflected strike, and added a third goal in the 64th minute—completing a brace and earning the UEFA Man of the Match award. He became the youngest player ever to register two goals and an assist in a Champions League final.

Inter, stunned and paralyzed, barely registered a response. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added PSG’s fourth in the 73rd minute, and teenager Senny Mayulu—just 19 years and 14 days old—capped off the rout in the 87th. Five goals, from five different angles of attack. It was brutal. It was brilliant. It was unforgettable.

Luis Enrique: The Man Who Made It Happen

For all the talk of Neymar, Messi, and Mbappé over the years, it was Luis Enrique who finally delivered the one trophy PSG had craved for over a decade. Appointed in 2023 after a series of failed managerial projects, Enrique brought more than just a résumé—he brought a clear vision.

Unlike his predecessors, Enrique didn't build his team around individual brilliance. He built a system. A structure where players like Vitinha, Hakimi, Zaïre-Emery, and Doué thrived—not as accessories to superstardom, but as core components of a cohesive machine. The transition from a star-studded circus to a team-first unit wasn’t easy—but the result was breathtaking.

In doing so, Enrique etched his name into history as just the second manager to complete the continental treble twice(after achieving it with Barcelona in 2015). He also became the seventh manager to win the Champions League with two different clubs. This wasn’t just a redemption for PSG—it was an emphatic legacy moment for Enrique.

Youth Rising in the City of Light

This wasn’t Mbappé’s PSG anymore. With the French superstar gone to Real Madrid earlier in the season, many doubted whether the Parisian giants could maintain their continental ambitions. But it turns out his departure was less of a loss and more of a liberation.

Désiré Doué, the teenage breakout star of the final, was symbolic of PSG’s evolution. At just 19, he became the youngest player to provide both a goal and assist in a Champions League final—and his composure on the biggest stage suggested a star in the making. Mayulu, another academy product, became the youngest Frenchman to score in a final. Add to that Zaïre-Emery’s midfield dominance and Kvaratskhelia’s flair, and PSG’s youth movement looks like a revolution.

Gone are the days of over-reliance on marquee names. PSG now has depth, balance, and sustainability. For a club often mocked for trying to buy the Champions League, this triumph was homegrown in all the right ways.

Dominance by the Numbers

PSG controlled 59% of possession and fired 23 total shots to Inter’s 8, with 8 on target. The Italian side managed just two shots on goal in 90 minutes. Inter were out-fought, out-thought, and outclassed in every department. Four yellow cards, five offsides, and just 41% possession told the story of a side that couldn’t cope with PSG’s pace or tactical structure.

It was a historic performance, not only in the final scoreline but in the way PSG maintained control from beginning to end. There were no scares, no heroics needed, and no miracles required. Just cold, clinical execution.

A Night of Glory—and Chaos

Back home in Paris, over 100,000 fans took to the streets to celebrate PSG’s long-awaited continental triumph. The Champs-Élysées lit up with joy, flares, and tears. But the celebrations quickly turned chaotic, with reports of over 500 arrests, injuries, and tragically, two fatalities. It was a stark reminder of the intense passion—and volatility—that this club evokes.

The violence does not diminish the sporting achievement, but it adds a complicated footnote to what should have been a purely celebratory night in the French capital.

The End of the Curse

After more than a decade of failed promises and embarrassing exits—from the infamous 6–1 collapse at Barcelona to the heartbreak against Bayern in the 2020 final—PSG finally did it. Not by being flashy, but by being better. Smarter. Hungrier.

With the treble in hand—Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Champions League—they’ve not only fulfilled the dream of their Qatari backers but have redefined what it means to be a superclub.

For years, PSG chased this trophy like an obsession. Now that they’ve caught it, the question becomes: how far can they go from here? If Luis Enrique stays and this young core matures, it’s not hard to imagine Paris becoming the new capital of European football.

In the End, It Wasn’t Close

Champions League finals are rarely blowouts. This one was. PSG’s 5–0 demolition of Inter Milan wasn’t just a win—it was an announcement. That they are no longer a punchline. No longer pretenders. They are, finally, and undeniably, Champions of Europe. And the way they did it—record-breaking, youth-powered, tactically masterful—might just signal the beginning of a new dynasty.

Paris is no longer dreaming. It is celebrating—decisively, defiantly, and at long last, deservedly.