Whats the secret behind the giant anime mosaics used by

What’s the secret behind the giant anime mosaics used by PSG fans?

PSG fans have displayed large mosaics in the Parc des Princes alluding to anime characters like Goku and Luffy, but it’s not just because of their fondness for cartoons.

He PSG lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League round of 16. The team of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar came close to equalizing in the second half but VAR prevented the score from moving any further. But apart from the game itself, there was a very curious detail on one of the grandstands in the Parc des Princes: the Parisian fans exhibited a huge mosaic from the anime “One Piece”.

The image showed Luffy, the protagonist of One Piece, using his fists and a submachine gun to destroy the Bayern Munich shield printed on top of another typhoid. This isn’t the first time PSG fans have used anime characters to support their team, as they’ve garnered attention over the past few years by portraying Goku and Shen Long from Dragon Ball. What is the reason for that?

PSG and Goku’s typhoid fever in 2018

The first anime postcard sent around the world by PSG fans was a giant image of Goku in a league match between the Parisians and Olympique de Marseille that took place on February 25, 2018. The figure featured the PSG protagonist from Dragon Ball in Super Saiyan mode, with a team crest on his uniform.

This curious reception by the fans was no coincidence. The background to the “Dragon Ball” allusion is that PSG had six championship titles at the time and were on their way to the seventh. This number matched and was related to that of the well-known Dragon Balls from the popular anime.

PSG's Goku mosaic debuted in 2018 in the 3-0 win over Olympique de Marseille.  Photo: PSG

PSG’s Goku mosaic debuted in 2018 in the 3-0 win over Olympique de Marseille. Photo: PSG

PSG and Shen Long’s typhoid in 2019

More than a year later, on October 27, 2019, PSG fans called up the anime again to cheer on their team. That was no coincidence, as it was another classic against Olympique de Marseille, with a character from “Dragon Ball”: Chosen this time was Shen Long, the dragon that grants wishes.

The classic with Gokú in the Parque de los Príncipes ended in a 3-0 win for them and by the end of the season they reached the seventh division. For this reason, Shen Long appeared on this occasion with a PSG scarf and also with the seven dragon balls that represent each of his championship titles.

Shen Long's mosaic accompanied PSG in another win against Olympique de Marseille in 2019.  Photo: PSG

Shen Long’s mosaic accompanied PSG in another win over Olympique de Marseille in 2019. Photo: PSG

PSG and Luffy in the Champions League 2023

It was the huge mosaic of Luffy from One Piece in the final match between PSG and Bayern Munich for the Champions League on February 14, 2023 that brought back the history of the Parisians with anime characters. Similar to “Dragon Ball”, Luffy has been customized with clothing that alludes to the club’s colors.

In this case, the “secret” behind Luffy’s presence at PSG Stadium is a little more detailed. In 2022, “One Piece” broke a major record in France with “One Piece film: red”: With 267,361 tickets sold on the first day (August 10), the film became the top-selling anime opening film in this country.

Luffy's mosaic brought PSG no

Luffy’s mosaic didn’t bring “luck” to PSG who lost 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. Photo: PSG