UCL: Marquinhos Explains Why He Hugged Gabriel After PSG Beat Arsenal

Paris Saint‑Germain defender Marquinhos revealed that he set aside his own team’s celebrations to embrace Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães after the Brazilian missed a decisive penalty in the 2026 UEFA Champions League Final.

The gesture underscored a rare moment of sportsmanship that eclipsed the fierce club rivalry.

Arsenal were defeated by PSG in Budapest on Saturday evening. The match finished 1‑1 after extra time, and the French side won 4‑3 in the subsequent penalty shootout.

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When Gabriel’s penalty sailed over the bar, Marquinhos rushed over to comfort the Arsenal defender, who is also a teammate at Brazil.

Speaking to the club’s website, the Brazilian international recalled the heartbreak of missing a penalty for Brazil in the 2022 World Cup.

“As soon as he missed that penalty, I remembered what it felt like for me when I missed against Croatia to knock us out of the last World Cup,” Marquinhos said.

“It was a very difficult moment for him, a big responsibility. I’ve been through it myself and know how tough it is when that happens to you as a player. You have to be very strong to get out of a moment like that – and I know how hard that is.”

“Gabriel really wanted to win this title and had all that pressure on him, knowing that if he missed, that dream had gone for him and we would be the champions.”

“So I just wanted to take a few minutes out of my celebrations to reserve this time for him, to hug him, to wish him to get better quickly.”

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“I told him that I’ve been through this moment and I know how difficult it is but that he can bounce back from it.”

“Gabriel has played an amazing season for Arsenal, proved he is one of the best defenders in the world and shown everyone he’s a great player. He did not deserve to have all that weight, of that moment of defeat, on his shoulders.”

“And in Brazil, we need him for the World Cup. I just wanted to hug him, to show him how much he is valued by us and congratulate him for everything else he has done this season.”