Paris Saint Germain defender Marquinhos has disclosed that he bypassed his own team’s celebrations to hug Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães after he missed a decisive penalty in the 2026 UEFA Champions League Final.
The embrace highlighted a rare and touching example of camaraderie overriding intense club rivalry.
Recall that Arsenal were defeated by PSG in Budapest on Saturday evening, with the match ending 1-1 after extra time, before the French giants claimed a 4-3 victory in the ensuing penalty shootout.
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The moment Gabriel’s penalty went over the bar, Marquinhos rushed over to comfort the Arsenal defender, who is also his Brazilian international team-mate.
Speaking with the club’s website, the Brazilian international recounted his 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.”
