Brennan Johnson’s scrappy first-half goal sealed a historic 1-0 victory for Tottenham Hotspur over Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday night in Bilbao, Spain—ending the North London club’s 17-year wait for silverware.
The hard-fought win marks Spurs’ first trophy since the 2008 League Cup and their first European triumph since clinching the UEFA Cup in the 1983–84 season.
The moment was met with jubilant celebrations, as the club finally shed its long-standing label of perennial underachievers.
Johnson found the net in the 42nd minute after a deflection off Luke Shaw, giving Spurs a narrow lead. In a tense second half, Tottenham were forced to dig deep, with Micky van de Ven delivering a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Rasmus Højlund an equalizer.
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min lifted the trophy—becoming the first Spurs skipper to do so since Ledley King in 2008—and will now lead his side into next season’s UEFA Champions League.
For Manchester United, the result was a devastating blow. Not only did they lose their shot at silverware, but the defeat also confirmed they will miss out on European football entirely next season—for the first time since the 2014–15 campaign—following their worst-ever Premier League finish.
Brennan Johnson scored in the 42nd minute.
Despite late attempts from Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee to inspire a comeback, United fell to their fourth defeat to Spurs this season.
Manager Rúben Amorim acknowledged post-match that while winning the trophy wouldn’t have solved all of United’s deep-rooted issues, it could have been a vital step forward.
Instead, they leave Bilbao empty-handed, capping off a historically poor campaign—their worst since their 1974 relegation from the old First Division.
The match, contested between two clubs who finished 16th and 17th respectively in the Premier League, was fought with intensity but lacked confidence—underscoring how much was at stake for both teams.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou celebrating the win.
For Tottenham, though, it was a night to remember. After nearly two decades of frustration, they are finally champions again.
