The forgotten secrets behind Barcelona’s wild Champions League final against Arsenal

It was Ronaldinho’s Barcelona, and that alone made the Catalan club the favorite to lift the Champions League trophy on May 17, 2006, at the Stade de France in Paris against Arsenal. But the backstory behind that final runs far deeper than the result itself.

It was anything but an easy victory. Even though Arsenal played with 10 men for most of the match after Jens Lehmann’s red card in the 18th minute, Barcelona struggled far more than expected. Frank Rijkaard’s side had to claw its way back from Sol Campbell’s 37th-minute opener in a dramatic, rain-soaked second half, with goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti finally delivering Barça’s second European crown, 14 years after the famous Wembley triumph over Sampdoria.

The mysteries surrounding Barcelona’s win in Paris

Yet two decades later, several mysteries surrounding that night remain unresolved: Andrés Iniesta’s shock omission from the starting lineup, Barcelona’s inability to break down a short-handed Arsenal side for so long, Carles Puyol’s emotional family story, and the fact that the winning goal came from a Brazilian fullback who scored just once in 103 appearances for the club.

Ronaldinho later reflected on the game in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, joking in his usual style about Belletti’s unlikely place in Barça history.

“People still thank me for that night, and teammates say Guardiola’s dominant Barcelona began there,” Ronaldinho said. “But it’s funny that at a club with the best players in the world, people remember a Brazilian fullback who only scored one goal. It’s incredible.”

Ronaldinho was the superstar of Rijkaard’s team, with Deco serving as his midfield partner and Eto’o leading the line up front. Around them was a spine of homegrown talent including Puyol, Víctor Valdés, Iniesta, Xavi and Lionel Messi, although both Xavi and Messi were injured late in the season. The squad also featured established internationals such as Edmílson, Rafael Márquez, Mark van Bommel, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Ludovic Giuly and Eto’o.

Barcelona confidence before Champions League final

Ronaldinho remembers the mood before kickoff as one of overwhelming confidence, perhaps too much confidence considering how the final unfolded.

“We arrived feeling so calm because we knew that winning the Champions League would make us part of club history,” he recalled.

Things quickly appeared to be going Barcelona’s way. In the 18th minute, Ronaldinho played a brilliant pass to Giuly, who rounded Lehmann and scored. But Norwegian referee Terje Hauge disallowed the goal and instead sent off the Arsenal goalkeeper for fouling the French winger earlier in the play.

Arsène Wenger responded by sacrificing Robert Pirès to bring on backup goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

Years later, Hauge admitted he got the decision wrong.

“I have to admit I should have waited before blowing the whistle,” the referee later said. “I should have waited to see where the ball went.”

Instead of collapsing, Arsenal grew stronger after the controversy. Barcelona, meanwhile, seemed rattled. Twenty minutes later, Sol Campbell headed the Gunners into the lead.

Barcelona’s struggles to get back into the game

From that point on, the game became a nightmare for Barcelona. Arsenal defended heroically, with Cesc Fàbregas, Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Eboué and Gilberto Silva throwing themselves into every challenge. Barça simply could not find a way through.

At halftime, Rijkaard finally made the move many expected from the beginning. He substituted Edmílson and brought on Iniesta, a change that transformed the game entirely.

The Spanish midfielder had been crucial in the semifinal against AC Milan, making his absence from the starting XI one of the biggest surprises of the night. Rijkaard instead opted for a more physical midfield featuring Edmílson and Van Bommel, a decision Iniesta still struggles to explain.

“Before the game I was angry,” Iniesta later admitted. “Sportingly, it’s one of the decisions that left the worst taste in my mouth. I had a very private conversation with the coach and I never explained it publicly, but he never really gave me a reason. Rijkaard told me something very strong, but he never explained why I wasn’t playing. It’s one of the small things I’ve never spoken about. It wasn’t a very logical explanation.”

The substitutions ultimately changed everything.

Barcelona come back to win

Henrik Larsson replaced Van Bommel in the 61st minute, while Belletti came on for Oleguer 10 minutes later. Both altered the rhythm of the game immediately.

In the 76th minute, Eto’o equalized after combining brilliantly with Larsson. Then, with 10 minutes remaining, Belletti completed the comeback with the winning goal, the only one he ever scored for Barcelona.

“When I scored, everyone hugged me like crazy and told me I deserved it,” Belletti later recalled. “I was just a supporting character in a team full of stars like Ronaldinho and Eto’o.”

The emotional high point came when Puyol, captain for the first time that season, lifted the trophy.

For him, the moment carried even greater meaning.

“It’s the only game my father ever came to watch me play live before he died,” Puyol explained. “My agent, Ramon Sostres, told him: ‘How can you miss this game? It’s a Champions League final. Your son is the captain alongside Thierry Henry, and one of them is going to lift the trophy.’”

Puyol’s father agreed to come, but insisted he had to return to work the next day.

“He came, watched the game, saw me lift the trophy and left. He got in the car and was back at work the following morning.”

Afterward, Paris turned into one long celebration. The party lasted so late into the night that Barcelona’s flight home had to be delayed because some players could not be woken up.

One of them had not even played because of injury. He would go on to become the central figure in the next three Champions League titles won by the club.

But that is another Paris mystery.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that of this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.