Arsenal stuns Barcelona to win the Women's Champions League

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Red-and-white streamers exploded into the air as Arsenal lifted its second Women's Champions League trophy after stunning defending champion Barcelona 1-0 in the final on Saturday.

Tough defense and a goal by Stina Blackstenius in the 75th minute from a pass by fellow second-half substitute Beth Mead powered Arsenal to glory at Estádio José Alvalade.

Arsenal’s title came 18 years after it became the first — and still the only — English club to win the top club title in women’s soccer.

Arsenal’s players embraced on the final whistle and ran to celebrate in front of the corner of the stands where their supporters reveled in the shock result.

“We had to be basically perfect to beat Barcelona," Arsenal captain Kim Little said. "Our players who came on today had an incredible impact.”

Little and Leah Williamson raised the trophy and streamers and glittering confetti shot over the podium. Meanwhile, Arsenal forward Mariona Caldentey, who played for Barcelona until this season, consoled Barcelona star Aitana Bonmatí before she stepped up to collect her fourth Champions League winner’s medal.

Barcelona was the heavy favorite. It was aiming for a fourth title in five years and to become the only team other than Lyon to win three consecutive titles. The team led by two-time Ballon d’Or winners Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas won nine straight in the competition and blew out Wolfsburg and English champion Chelsea in the knockout rounds.

But Arsenal locked down in defense — except for early in the second half — and created the best chances. Only two superb saves by Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll to deny Frida Maanum and Blackstenius kept it scoreless until Blackstenius finally beat her.

The victory marks an incredible finish to a rocky season for Arsenal, which included coach Jonas Eidevall resigning and being replaced by assistant Renée Seglers.

Since taking over, Seglers steered the team through a spectacular European campaign. Arsenal built its confidence from come-from-behind wins over Real Madrid and eight-time champion Lyon in the knockout rounds before laying low the almighty Barcelona.

Seglers delivered a masterful coaching performance in the final, getting her substitutions right and devising a way to stop the highest scoring team in the tournament.

“What we did so well was using all possible tools to speed the game up, to disrupt it, but to stay true to who we are. This was key to why we won today," Seglers said. “Barcelona are so good, but we tried to exploit weaknesses where we could. We said beforehand that the midfield of Barcelona was the engine. So we wanted to stop them.”

Arsenal defender Katie McCabe said it was all about the work rate the entire side put in. That started up front, where England striker Alessia Russo was a rock for Arsenal, using her size to win balls and keep the attack going.

“We respect them but we can’t give them too much respect either,” McCabe told The Associated Press. “We needed to put pressure on them and we know we are a really good pressing team and our frontline and the midfield really worked their socks off today.”

The loss was a huge disappointment for the more than 15,000 Barcelona fans who filled the stadium that is home to Sporting Lisbon. Blue-and-burgundy shirts and flags outnumbered the red-and-white section, but their calls of “Yes we can!” in the final minutes weren’t enough to inspire a comeback by the Catalan club.

The closest Barcelona came to a goal was a shot by Claudia Pina that hit the crossbar just after halftime when the Spanish team had its best period. Otherwise, the game was to Arsenal’s liking.

Bonmatí was the only Barcelona player who seemed to be in the flow before halftime. Her dribble moves through the middle created a few threats and kept Arsenal on guard in defense. Leah Willamson blocked her best shot deep in the box in the 12th.

“I feel sadness and frustration for our fans," Bonmatí said. "I love this club's colors as much as they do, and they travelled here in their thousands to support us. I'm sorry that we didn't give them what we all wanted. But we'll be back.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

From left, Arsenal's Kim Little, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley and Lia Walti pose with the winner trophy after their team won the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati walks past the winner trophy during the podium ceremony after Arsenal won the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Arsenal players celebrate with their trophy after winning the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Arsenal's Kim Little, centre, holds the trophy as she celebrates with her teammates after winning the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati, left, is comforted by Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey at the end of the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Arsenal players celebrate at the end of the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Arsenal players celebrate after winning the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati, right, greets Arsenal's Leah Williamson at the end of the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Barcelona's Alexia Putellas gestures during the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Arsenal players celebrate after winning the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius, third from right, celebrates with her teammates after scoring her side's opening goal during the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

The trophy is displayed on the field before the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati uses her smart phone at the pitch prior to the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Arsenal's Beth Mead controls the ball during warm up before the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati works out during a training session, on the eve of the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona, at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, in Lisbon, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen, center, plays the ball with team players during a training session, on the eve of the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona, at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, in Lisbon, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati plays the ball during a training session, on the eve of the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona, at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, in Lisbon, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

An Arsenal fan waves a flag at Lisbon's riverside Comercio square, on the eve of the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona in Lisbon, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

Barcelona fans wave flags at Lisbon's riverside Comercio square, on the eve of the women's Champions League final soccer match between Arsenal and FC Barcelona in Lisbon, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

Iran's top judge hinted at fast trials and executions for those who were detained in nationwide protests against the country's theocracy, even as activists said Wednesday that the death toll rose to levels unseen in decades, with at least 2,571 people killed so far.

Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, made the comments about trials and executions in a video Tuesday, despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would “take very strong action” if executions take place.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the number of dead climbed to at least 2,571 early Wednesday. The figure dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

After Trump was informed of the number of deaths, he warned Iran's leaders that he was terminating any negotiations and would “act accordingly.”

Details of the crackdown began emerging Tuesday as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications countrywide when the protests broke out.

Here is the latest:

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service dropped its fees to allow more people to circumvent the Tehran government’s strongest attempt ever to prevent information from spilling outside its borders, activists said Wednesday.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has not officially announced the decision and did not respond to a request for comment, but activists told The Associated Press that Starlink has been available for free to anyone in Iran with the receivers since Tuesday.

“Starlink has been crucial,” said Mehdi Yahyanejad, an Iranian whose nonprofit Net Freedom Pioneers has helped smuggle units into Iran, pointing to footage that emerged Sunday showing rows of bodies at a forensic medical center near Tehran.

“That showed a few hundred bodies on the ground, that came out because of Starlink,” he said in an interview from Los Angeles. “I think that those videos from the center pretty much changed everyone’s understanding of what’s happening because they saw it with their own eyes.”

Starlink is banned in Iran.

Tens of thousands of mourners thronged the streets near Tehran University for a mass funeral of security forces and civilians on Wednesday.

After Iranian state television reported that 300 coffins would be on display at Tehran University, Associated Press reporters there saw around 100. It wasn’t clear why there was a discrepancy.

Many held Iranian flags and identical photos of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and their relatives. The caskets, covered in Iranian flags, were stacked at least three high in the backs of trucks and covered with red and white roses and framed photographs of people who were killed. The crowd chanted and beat their chests in response to an emcee speaking from a stage.

One man in the crowd held up a photo of U.S. President Donald Trump during the Pennsylvania assassination attempt, emblazoned with: “The arrow doesn’t always miss!”

The presenter, his voice booming across the crowd, blamed the U.S. for the unrest. “All of our problems are because of America, today’s economic problems are because of American sanctions. Death to America!” he yelled, prompting the same chant from the tens of thousands of people, dressed mostly in black.

India's Embassy in Tehran urged Wednesday all Indian nationals to leave Iran, citing what it called an “evolving situation” in the Islamic Republic.

The statement, posted on X, also advised Indian citizens to remain highly vigilant and avoid areas where protests are taking place.

German police said Wednesday the two climbed over a fence into embassy grounds and tore down an Iranian flag. Both wanted to hoist two pre-Islamic Republic flags but failed, German news agency dpa reported.

They left the grounds when guards used pepper spray and were detained on the sidewalk outside.

The incident happened late Tuesday.

Major Middle East governments were discouraging the Trump administration from waging a war with Iran, fearing “unprecedented consequences” in the volatile region, an Arab Gulf diplomat said Wednesday.

The Cairo-based diplomat, who was given anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media, said major governments in the region, including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, have been “in constant contact” with the U.S. administration over a potential American strike on Iran that could explode into a “full-blown war.”

Such a war will “certainly” have dire repercussions “not only on the Middle East but also on the global economy," he said.

Iranian state television said Wednesday’s mass funeral in Tehran would include 300 bodies of security force members and civilians. The funeral is expected to take place at Tehran University under heavy security.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the crackdown killed at least 2,571 people. It said 2,403 of the dead were protesters and 147 were government-affiliated. Twelve children were killed, along with nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said.

Gauging the demonstrations and the death toll from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll, given the communications being disrupted in the country.

Melanie Lidman contributed from Jerusalem.

Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on countries that trade with Iran could impact India, an expert said, as New Delhi already faces existing 50% U.S. trade levies due to its purchases of Russian oil.

Abhijit Mukhopadhyay, a senior economist at the Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi, said the bigger risk is not India-Iran trade, but India’s access to the U.S. market, as its exports to Iran are modest.

India mainly exports rice, tea, sugar, pharmaceuticals and electrical machinery to Iran, while importing dry fruits and chemical products. Textiles and garments, gems and jewelry and engineering goods are likely to be the most vulnerable sectors, he said.

Trump’s latest move also could affect India’s investments in Iran, including the strategically important Chabahar port, which gives India a trade route to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe while bypassing Pakistan, Mukhopadhyay said.

Iran’s judiciary chief signals fast trials and executions for those detained in nationwide protests.

Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comment in a video shared by Iranian state television on Wednesday.

He emphasized the need for swift action, saying delays would lessen the impact.

His remarks challenge Trump, who warned Iran about executions in an interview aired Tuesday.

Trump stated the U.S. would take strong action if Iran proceeded with executions. The situation highlights escalating tensions between the two countries over the handling of the protests.

Dozens of Pakistani students studying in Iran have returned home through a remote southwestern border crossing, a Pakistani immigration official said Wednesday.

Federal Investigation Agency spokesperson in Quetta city, Samina Raisani, said about 60 students crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday through Gabd border in Balochistan province with valid travel documents.

More students were expected to return through the same crossing later Wednesday, she said.

Mudassir Tipu, Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, said Tuesday that Iranian universities had rescheduled exams and permitted international students to leave the country.

The satellite internet provider Starlink now offers free service to people in Iran who have access to the company's receivers, activists said Wednesday.

Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who helped get the units into Iran, told The Associated Press that the free service had started. Other activists also confirmed in messages online that the service was free.

Starlink has been the only way for Iranians to communicate with the outside world since authorities shut down the internet Thursday night as nationwide protests swelled and they began a bloody crackdown against demonstrators.

Starlink did not immediately acknowledge the decision.

This frame grab from videos taken between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, 2026, and circulating on social media purportedly shows images from a morgue with dozens of bodies and mourners after crackdown on the outskirts of Iran's capital, in Kahrizak, Tehran Province. (UGC via AP)