PSG chase third straight European crown and a place among the greats
Paris St-Germain are hunting a third straight European crown. No French club has stood this close before.
The back-to-back champions underlined their intent with a 4-2 Champions League win over Manchester City, after racing 3-0 clear by half-time, according to BBC. The Champions League is Europe's top club competition. City pulled two goals back after the break. PSG still had enough to see it out.
That result followed two finals that changed the club. PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the 2025 final at the Munich Football Arena to become champions of Europe for the first time. UEFA lists the 5-0 win as the biggest final win in history, a detail confirmed in its highlights record UEFA.
The following season PSG did it again. They beat Arsenal on penalties, a shootout used to settle a drawn tie, to retain the trophy BBC. The route to that final went through Germany, with a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich sealing a 6-5 aggregate victory, meaning the combined score across two legs, to reach the showpiece Reuters.
A third in a row would put PSG in rare company. It would make them only the fifth team since 1956 to win three consecutive European crowns, and only the second in the Champions League era BBC. The BBC now describes them as a dynasty in the making.
Manager Luis Enrique arrived in 2023. He said he is convinced PSG are capable of a Champions League three-peat, three titles on the spin beIN Sports. His rebuild followed a clear shift at the top. President Nasser Al-Khelaifi declared "It's the end of the glitter" after years of lavish spending, closing the flashy, bling-bling era.
PSG have been France's most dominant force since the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments 15 years ago. Under Enrique the emphasis moved to a coherent team, with investment in younger players who could be moulded by his philosophy and discipline BBC.
That is why the history matters. The European Champion Clubs' Cup began in 1955. The BBC's September debate on the greatest winners of Europe's grandest prize ranks PSG's side from 2024 at No. 10.
The list above them shows how hard a three-peat is. Helenio Herrera took over Inter Milan in 1960 and won the Scudetto, Italy's league title, in 1962-63. Inter then lifted the European Cup in 1963-64 without losing a game, with Sandro Mazzola scoring twice against Real Madrid in the final, and defended it in 1965 against Benfica despite losing a semi-final first leg at Anfield.
Benfica set the earlier standard. They won the European Cup in 1961 against Barcelona, then added a second straight crown after teenager Eusebio joined in summer 1961 and scored twice against Real Madrid in the final, even with Ferenc Puskas hitting a first-half hat-trick, three goals, for Madrid.
What makes this stand out is the change in feeling around PSG. For years they were known for star names and near misses in Europe. Now they defend leads, win shootouts and talk openly about joining Inter, Benfica and Real Madrid among the game's great repeat winners. For fans, this means every European night carries the same question. Can this young side keep winning when everyone expects them to win?
