'Football won': Gary Lineker drops brutal verdict on Arsenal's Champions League final loss

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·1 giugno 2026

'Football won': Gary Lineker drops brutal verdict on Arsenal's Champions League final loss

Former England captain gave Gunners credit... to a point

Gary Lineker has offered his explanation as to why PSG beating Arsenal in the Champions League final this past weekend was the right result for football.

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Arsenal’s Premier League and Champions League campaigns had been characterised by their defensive superiority and clinical nature in taking their few chances in a game. This trend remained true in the final, where they took an early lead through Kai Havertz and held PSG goalless until the final third of the game when Ballon D’or holder, Ousmane Dembele, scored from the spot.

The game ended in heartbreak for Arsenal, losing 4-3 on penalties, but Lineker argued that ‘football won’ as PSG were the better team throughout the tournament.

“It was obviously disappointing for Arsenal but I do think the best team in the tournament has won again,” Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast.

Gabriel reacts to missing the key penalty in Budapest

“Looking at the game as a fan with no skin in the game, I think Arsenal had to play that way because they wouldn’t have beaten PSG any other way, but at the same time I think football won.”

The Premier League champions put on a display of admirable defence against PSG who scored 45 goals in this seasons Champions League - equalling the record set by Barcelona in 1999-00 for the most goals in a European Cup Season.

But in the same breath, Arsenal set a record low of any team in a Champions League final with 25 per cent possession, so it could only be so long before a team like PSG would capitalise on the lion’s share of possession. Lineker believed this was a triumph for the right kind of football.

Ousmane Dembele embraces the Champions League trophy

PA

“I know there are all different sort of ways to play and there’s nothing wrong with playing defensively,” Lineker explained. “But at the same time football is entertainment and you want to see teams that are really positive, creative and have the best players and play wonderful football.

“I think this season those three teams have been PSG, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

“Arsenal are brilliant defensively and PSG didn’t create much because they’re so organised but I think as a neutral it was a positive result for football

“I think in terms of how football should be played, the best team won.”