Tottenham Hotspur ended a 17-year wait for silverware with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the 2025 UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao, clinching their first European trophy in over 40 years and securing a return to the Champions League.
In a nervy, scrappy affair at San Mamés Stadium, the game’s only goal came in the 42nd minute. Pape Matar Sarr whipped in a low cross that caused chaos in the United box. With Andre Onana slow off his line and defenders scrambling, the ball ricocheted off both Brennan Johnson and Luke Shaw before trickling into the net. It was an ugly goal—but decisive nonetheless.
The win marks Spurs’ first major honour since the 2008 League Cup and their first European title since the 1984 UEFA Cup. Remarkably, it also completed a season sweep over United, with Tottenham defeating them four times in all competitions.
Despite lifting the trophy, questions remain over manager Ange Postecoglou’s future, with Spurs finishing 17th in the Premier League—just one place below United. On the eve of the final, Postecoglou angrily declared he was “not a clown”—and in Bilbao, he had the last laugh.
Tottenham goalscorer Brennan Johnson, speaking to TNT Sports, said: “I’m so happy right now. This season has not been good at all, not one of us players care about that now. This team has not won a trophy for 17 years, it means so much.
“All the fans get battered, we get battered for not winning a trophy. We had to get the first one, I’m so happy. Ever since I came here it has been ‘Tottenham, good team but can’t get it done’, but we got it done.
“I knew I touched it a bit [for the goal], but not clean, then I looked up and the ball was trickling in the goal.
“[In the last five minutes] I couldn’t watch. I was just asking ‘how long left?’ When we defended that corner, I was getting told it was done and the relief is something I can’t describe. “Tottenham Hotspur being 17th in the Premier League is not good enough. We had an unbelievable Europa run. The fans have been so good, home and away and they had the edge over the United fans. They were all here an hour before the game, they got us through the game.”
Tottenham’s triumph secures a crucial return to the Champions League next season—both a financial boost and a competitive lifeline for a club that had been on a downward spiral in recent months.
For Manchester United, the defeat marks a bitter conclusion to an already chaotic season. Despite showing more urgency in the second half, Rúben Amorim’s side lacked composure in front of goal and once again failed to deliver when it mattered most. The loss also confirms that United will miss out on European football entirely in the 2025/26 season—an astonishing low for a club with such a proud and decorated history.
