Arsenal Manager Arteta: 'PSG Are the Best Team in the World'

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as the best team in the world after defeating his team to win this year's Champions League.

Arsenal failed to win their first Champions League trophy after losing 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes in Budapest on Saturday, May 30th, 2026.

"I congratulate PSG, especially Luis (Enrique), because I think they are the best team in the world," Arteta said after the match, as reported by TNT Sports as cited by Antara.

"What they are able to do with the ball, with individual actions – I’ve never seen it before. It’s not the plan to play in certain areas when you don’t have the ball, but they force you to do that. So more credit goes to their players."

PSG secured their second consecutive Champions League title after winning the penalty shootout 4-3. The result confirmed the dominance of the French club, who also won the competition last season.

Arteta admitted he only felt disappointment after failing to lead Arsenal to a European trophy. The Spanish coach assessed that his team was not yet at the same level as PSG, especially in terms of possession and quality of play.

Throughout the match, Arsenal were under more pressure. The Gunners recorded less than 25 percent possession and were forced to defend against PSG's relentless attacks.

Despite this, Arsenal took the lead through Kai Havertz's early goal before Ousmane Dembele equalized from the penalty spot in the second half. This goal allowed PSG to equal the record of 45 goals scored in a single Champions League season.

Arteta also highlighted the referee's decision not to award Arsenal a penalty when Noni Madueke was brought down with the score still tied at 1-1.

However, he chose to accept the final result and emphasized that his team must continue to improve if they want to win the Champions League in the future.

This final marks Arsenal's second appearance in the Champions League final, having last reached the same stage 20 years ago when they lost to Barcelona in Paris.

In nearly seven years at the helm of Arsenal, Arteta successfully returned the London club to the top of English football, winning the Premier League after a 22-year wait.

However, he believes there is still significant work to be done to compete at the highest level in Europe.

"The progress we've made in recent years must be repeated because the level of competition is increasing every season," said Arteta.

Read: PSG Wins Champions League After Beating Arsenal on Penalties

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