Arsenal defender Gabriel was forced to relive his painful Champions League final penalty miss during the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on Monday night. The 28-year-old Brazilian skied his spot-kick during the final penalty shootout against Paris Saint-Germain in May, denying Arsenal their first-ever Champions League title.
Those memories resurfaced when a video montage of the Budapest match played at the event to celebrate Paris Saint-Germain winning the Men's Club of the Year award. Gabriel, dressed in a suit in the audience, watched the big screen as the footage rolled.
A social media user combined a clip of the missed penalty with a shot of Gabriel raising his eyebrows and looking away from his seat. It remains unclear if this was his genuine reaction or simply edited footage, but attending the event made for an awkward viewing experience.
Football fans quickly took the chance to mock the defender online. One joked, “He's trying to hold back the tears.” Another added, “Bro was getting flashbacks.” A third wrote, “They are evil,” while a fourth stated, “He thought he could live it down.”
Full Men's Ballon d'Or rankings
HERE'S who finished in the top 30 for the Men's Ballon d'Or award:
- 1st. Harry Kane
- 2nd. Kylian Mbappe
- 3rd. Lamine Yamal
- 4th. Rodri
- 5th. Lionel Messi
- 6th. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- 7th. Ousmane Dembélé
- 8th. Erling Haaland
- 9th. Michael Olise
- 10th. Fabián Ruiz
- 11th: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid and England)
- 12th: Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona and Spain)
- 13th: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco)
- 14th: Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal)
- 15th: Declan Rice (Arsenal and England)
- 16th: Ferran Torres (Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain and Spain)
- 17th: Vinícius Junior (Real Madrid and Brazil)
- 18th: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea/Real Madrid and Spain)
- 19th: Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal)
- 20th: Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain and Ecuador)
- 21st: Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal and Brazil)
- 22nd: Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan and Argentina)
- 23rd: Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal)
- 24th: Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich and Colombia)
- 25th: Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil)
- 26th: Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich and France)
- 27th: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United and Portugal)
- 28th Julián Quinones (Al Qadsiah and Mexico)
- 29th: Sadio Mane (Al Nassr and Senegal)
- 29th: William Saliba (Arsenal and France)
Aside from that moment in Hungary, Gabriel played a key role in Arsenal's Premier League title-winning 2025/26 season. He secured 21st place in the Men's Ballon d'Or voting, sitting six spots behind teammate Declan Rice.
Harry Kane of Bayern Munich won the top prize, becoming the first Englishman to claim the Ballon d'Or since 2001. Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal took second and third places.
