“It could easily have been a penalty” — Noni Madueke on controversial incident that enraged Arsenal in Champions League final
Arsenal winger Noni Madueke has hit out at the refereeing decision that denied him a penalty in extra time of the 2026 Champions League final, questioning the consistency of officiating throughout the competition after PSG beat the Gunners 4–3 on penalties.
It was the flashpoint that defined a frantic final in Budapest. Deep into the first half of extra time, Madueke raced onto a loose ball in the PSG penalty area and went to ground following a collision with Nuno Mendes. The referee waved play on. Mikel Arteta was booked on the touchline. Declan Rice screamed in protest and picked up a yellow card of his own. The Puskás Aréna erupted in a storm of Arsenal boos.
Now Madueke, speaking after the heartbreaking shootout defeat, has made his feelings clear.
“It could easily have been a penalty. Especially if you look at some of the penalties they have given in this competition…”
— Noni Madueke, post-match interview
The ellipsis said as much as the words themselves — a pointed, barely-veiled suggestion that the standards applied in this competition’s knockout rounds have not been consistent, and that Arsenal were held to a different measure when it mattered most.
What happened during the incident?
Introduced as a substitute in the second half, Madueke had injected urgency into Arsenal’s attack throughout extra time. The incident occurred when he pursued a loose ball into the PSG box and collided with PSG left-back Nuno Mendes. Madueke went down; the referee, judging it a fair challenge, waved away Arsenal’s furious appeals.
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