Odegaard: Arsenal Will Return Stronger After PSG Champions League Exit

Odegaard vows Arsenal will come back stronger after PSG penalty loss  

Arsenal lost to back-to-back champions PSG on penalties in Budapest after a 1-1 draw. Odegaard: “You want to win so bad and to turn up with nothing is brutal.” Gabriel missed the decisive spot-kick.

Martin Odegaard reaction, Arsenal PSG penalty loss, contract future, World Cup...

Martin Odegaard called Arsenal’s Champions League exit on penalties to PSG “brutal” after their loss in Budapest on Saturday night. The captain said the game came down to “small margins” against the back-to-back European champions.

Odegaard had a quiet night as playmaker and was taken off for Viktor Gyokeres in the 66th minute. The Norwegian only managed 12 touches before leaving the pitch.

From the bench, Odegaard could only watch as Gabriel sent his penalty over the bar to seal it for PSG. But the 27-year-old still felt Arsenal matched the French side over 120 minutes despite the heartbreak.

Odegaard had to watch helplessly from the sidelines as Gabriel blazed his decisive penalty over the crossbar, handing PSG the win. Still, the 27-year-old believed Arsenal went toe-toe with the back-to-back Champions League winners.

Speaking in the mixed zone afterward, he said: “You want to win so bad and to turn up with nothing is brutal. That’s part of football, and we’ve still done some incredible things this season, and we’ll get over this loss and come back even stronger next year.”

The match finished 1-1 after extra time, but PSG dominated the attack. Luis Enrique’s team fired 21 shots to Arsenal’s 7, giving them an xG of 1.77 compared to Arsenal’s 0.44.

Odegaard was gracious in defeat though. He felt the 120 minutes were decided by fine margins and that the result could easily have swung Arsenal’s way.

He added: “It’s small margins, especially on penalties. 

“I thought we started the game really good, we got the first goal and after that I thought we defended really well. 

“Obviously, PSG had the ball a lot but they didn’t create anything. The penalty, of course, they got their goal. After that it was quite tight… we did everything we could, it’s just to lose (like that).“

Odegaard came under scrutiny toward the end of the season over how well he fits Mikel Arteta’s system. He managed just one goal and seven assists in all competitions as Arsenal’s campaign fizzled out.

💬 "We've had an incredible season."

Odegaard puts tonight's result into perspective 👇

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 30, 2026

Now turning his focus to a World Cup finals spot with Norway, the ex-Real Madrid midfielder still insists he has more to offer Arsenal. When asked about his future he responded: “I have a contract here and I’m really happy here. That’s the situation and hopefully I can stay many more years.”

Odegaard will next join up with Norway for their trip to the US. They face what looks like the tournament’s toughest group against France, Senegal and Iraq.