Gabriel relives Champions League penalty miss at Ballon d’Or ceremony

Arsenal defender Gabriel was confronted with painful memories of his Champions League final penalty miss during Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in London.

The 28-year-old Brazil international was in the audience when a video showing the decisive shootout in Budapest was played on the big screen.

The footage was shown as part of the presentation for Paris Saint-Germain, who were named men’s club of the year. Paris Saint-Germain had beaten Arsenal in May after Gabriel missed the final penalty in the shootout.

The miss denied Arsenal what would have been the club’s first Champions League title.

Gabriel, dressed in a suit and seated among the spectators, appeared on camera as the clips from the final were shown during the ceremony. The moment quickly drew attention on social media, with supporters commenting on the defender’s reaction.

One joked: “He is trying to hold back his tears.”

Another wrote: “My brother was suffering from painful memories,” while a third posted: “They are evil.”

A further comment read: “He thought he could forget about it.”

The episode revived one of the most difficult moments of Gabriel’s recent career, although he was also one of Arsenal’s outstanding performers during the previous season, when the club won the Premier League title.

His performances earned him a place in the Ballon d’Or voting, where he finished 21st. Gabriel was six places behind his Arsenal team-mate Declan Rice in the final standings.

The ceremony also saw Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane presented with the Ballon d’Or, while Paris Saint-Germain received the award for the best men’s club of the year.

Gabriel’s penalty was the final attempt of the shootout against Paris Saint-Germain in May. His failure to convert ended Arsenal’s hopes of lifting the European trophy and ensured that the match remained a painful reference point even during a prestigious individual awards event.

The defender had to watch the decisive moments again in front of football’s leading figures in London, with the images recalling the outcome of a match that had offered Arsenal the chance to win the Champions League for the first time.